Fair Representation Act (United States) Explained

Fair Representation Act (United States) should not be confused with Fair Representation Act (Canada).

Fair Representation Act
Fullname:	To establish the use of ranked choice voting in elections for Representatives in Congress, to require each State with more than one Representative to establish multi-member congressional districts, to require States to conduct congressional redistricting through independent commissions, and for other purposes.
Number Of Co-Sponsors:	8
Introducedin:	House of Representatives
Leghisturl:	https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/4000/all-actions
Introducedbill:	H.R. 3863
Introduceddate:	June 14, 2021
Introducedby:	Don Beyer (D–VA)
Committees:	House Judiciary

The Fair Representation Act (H.R. 3863) is a bill filed in the United States House of Representatives. Originally introduced in 2017 during the 115th Congress by Don Beyer (D–VA), it was reintroduced by Beyer in 2019 and 2021.^{[1] [2]}

The bill has three main provisions:

• Establish independent redistricting commissions in all states to prevent gerrymandering
• Creating multi-member districts for elections to the House of Representatives, with each district having at least 3 members
• Require the use of ranked choice voting, in particular single transferable vote, to elect members to the House

Purpose

Beyer has stated the goal of the bill is to reduce polarization and partisanship by incentivizing elected representatives to appeal to a broader range of voters. Ranked choice voting and multi-seat districts would reduce the number of safe-seat districts and encourage more political competition.^[3]

The act is also alleged to ensure more proportional representation, both with political parties but also with the election of more women^[4] and minority candidates.^{[5] [6]}

Reactions

Support

The bill has been supported by FairVote.

Legislative history

!Congress!Short title!Bill number!Date introduced!Number of cosponsors!Latest status

115th	Fair Representation Act of 2017	H.R. 3057	July 14, 2017	5	Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice
116th	Fair Representation Act of 2019	H.R. 4000	July 25, 2019	7	Referred to Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties
117th	Fair Representation Act of 2021	H.R. 3863	June 11, 2021	8	Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on House Administration
118th	Fair Representation Act of 2024	H.R. 7740	March 20, 2024	7	Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on House Administration

See also

• Single transferable vote
• Proportional representation
• Electoral reform in the United States
• Ranked-choice voting in the United States
• For The People Act

Notes and References

1. Web site: H.R.3057 - Fair Representation Act. 14 July 2017. 2021-10-04. congress.gov.
2. Web site: Winger . Richard . Congressional Bill for Multi-Member U.S. House Districts . Ballot Access News. June 18, 2021 .
3. Web site: 2019-07-25. Beyer, House Democrats Introduce Fair Representation Act Following Supreme Court Decision On Gerrymandering. 2021-02-20. U.S. Representative Don Beyer. en.
4. Web site: Women's Representation: Saluting Black Women in Politics—Past, Present and Future - Ms. Magazine. 2021-02-20. msmagazine.com. 5 February 2021 .
5. Web site: FairVote.org. The Fair Representation Act. 2021-02-20. FairVote.
6. Web site: Representation2020.com. Fair Representation Act. 2021-02-20. RepresentWomen. en. May 14, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210514205231/https://www.representwomen.org/fair_rep_act. dead.