The New America Foundation today commended the Berkeley City Council for its overwhelming support for Instant Runoff Voting (IRV). On Tuesday night, by an 8-1 vote of its city council, Berkeley became the third city in Alameda County since the beginning of the New Year to officially adopt Instant Runoff Voting.
 
"This is history in the making," said Blair Bobier, Deputy Director of the New America Foundation's Political Reform Program. "The decision by the Berkeley City Council means that three cities in the same county will all begin using Instant Runoff Voting for the first time this November." Last month, both the Oakland and San Leandro city councils approved using IRV for local elections starting this year. 
 
"We really have to tip our hats to the many people in Alameda County who care so much about local democracy and shepherded this reform for a number of years. With their persistent efforts, groups like the League of Women Voters and Oakland Rising have been a model of citizen participation and dedication," said Steven Hill, Director of the Political Reform Program.
 
Instant Runoff Voting has been used in San Francisco since 2004 and is being actively considered by elected officials in a number of other cities in California. Instant Runoff Voting is also used in Minneapolis, North Carolina, Arkansas, Australia and Ireland, among other places. It has been approved in other U.S. cities, including Memphis, Santa Fe and St. Paul, and now awaits implementation. This year, the Academy Award for Best Picture will be determined by Instant Runoff Voting. 
 
San Francisco has increased voter turnout, and saved millions of dollars by eliminating unnecessary runoff elections, since switching to IRV in 2004.

For more on instant runoff voting, please visit the Political Reform Program website.

For media requests, please contact Elizabeth Wu at wu@newamerica.net or (510) 295-9859.