While Democrats are hopeful, if not elated, at the growing likelihood that they will gain power in Congress, we cannot forget that the overwhelming majority of seats in the House are uncompetitive or uncontested. This is also true of our state legislatures and local governments.

Primary elections, on all levels, are notoriously uncontested, with predictable results. According to a report by American University's Center for the Study of the American Electorate, only 15.4 percent of eligible voters went to the polls in primaries this year, a record low for midterm primaries. Disaffection and cynicism toward meaningless political participation are rampant. This has to change--and it can.

On November 7 voters in four local jurisdictions will consider a fundamental change in how we vote. Minneapolis, Davis and Oakland, California, and Pierce County, Washington, could choose to adopt an emerging electoral reform that offers many benefits. Instant Runoff Voting (IRV) is like a traditional runoff election. But instead of distributing two or three ballots on different election dates, voters rank candidates in order of preference on a single ballot. As voter choices are tabulated, candidates are eliminated until a majority winner emerges--all in one election.

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