The event will bring together leading scholars, researchers, and policymakers to explore the potential of consensus-based electoral systems and their potential role in strengthening democratic governance.
The conference will consider Consensus Choice voting from a national perspective, as well as focus on the specifics of Ohio’s Senate Bill 395, a Consensus Choice voting proposal introduced earlier this year by state senator Louis Blessing, who will participate in the conference. In addition, the conference will examine both the theoretical foundations and practical implications of Consensus Choice voting, a system designed to identify candidates with the broadest public support while reducing political polarization.
“We are delighted to be hosting this conference,” shared Professor Ned Foley, Director of Election Law at Ohio State. “Consensus Choice voting is something every American should know about when considering how best to improve democracy so that it truly implements what the voters collectively most want. In Ohio, we are very fortunate to have the first bill to adopt Consensus Choice voting introduced in our state legislature.”
The conference opens with a featured conversation between Professor Foley and Eric Maskin, Nobel Prize-winning economist and professor at Harvard University, who will discuss the mechanics and systemic advantages of Consensus Choice voting. The panels that follow will explore what democratic legitimacy requires from an election system, with perspectives from political theorists and legal scholars, and how political parties would adapt their strategies if Consensus Choice voting were adopted.
A centerpiece of the conference will be the unveiling of the results from a groundbreaking national Deliberative Poll examining informed public opinion on Consensus Choice voting. Co-directed by Election Law at Ohio State and Stanford University's Deliberative Democracy Lab, the project is the first large-scale empirical study designed to assess how voters view this voting system after reviewing expert briefing materials and participating in moderated deliberations. Conference participants will receive an in-depth look at findings that examine whether voters, after becoming more informed about electoral design, prefer consensus-centered candidates over more divergent alternatives. The study also will offer insights into voter understanding of ballot design, tiebreaker procedures, and messaging strategies related to different electoral systems.
The remainder of the conference will examine the broader political and legislative consequences of Consensus Choice voting systems.
To view the full agenda and register to attend, visit the conference information page.