The New America Foundation and Common Cause will sponsor a panel discussion about Instant Runoff Voting, featuring San Jose city councilors Sam Liccardo and Ash Kalra, on Thursday, June 11, from Noon to 1:15 p.m., in room 225 of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Public Library in San Jose. The event is free and open to the public and lunch will be provided. The library is located at 150 E. San Fernando Street in downtown San Jose. Parking is readily available in nearby city parking garages.

The panel discussion, "Instant Runoff Voting: What will it do for San Jose?" will be moderated by San Jose State University political science professor Terry Christensen. In addition to Liccardo and Kalra, other panelists for the event include Steve Chessin, the president of Californians for Electoral Reform, and Katie Selenski, a board member of California Common Cause.

"There is a lot of interest about Instant Runoff Voting in San Jose and this timely event will help inform the public and generate discussion about how we can improve local elections," said Blair Bobier, Deputy Director of New America's Political Reform Program.

The San Jose Elections Commission considered Instant Runoff Voting at its May meeting and will revisit the subject on June 10. In April, the central committee of the Santa Clara County Democratic Party adopted a resolution urging "the San Jose City Council to place a charter amendment before city voters that replaces San Jose's unnecessary and expensive two round runoff elections with instant runoff voting."

For more information about this event and Instant Runoff Voting, visit the website of New America's Political Reform Program

www.newamerica.net/programs/political_reform.

RSVP at this New America Foundation page

Last revised June 1, 2009