Senior Research Associate, Democracy

Jay Lee is a Senior Research Associate with Sightline Institute, primarily working on electoral upgrades across Cascadia.

Jay has a quantitative background in statistics and elections research, and prior to Sightline worked with Reed College’s Elections & Voting Information Center. He is interested in voting system reforms, the over 90,000 local governments in the United States, reproducibility in scientific computing and data science, and causal inference techniques for isolating effects in observational studies. He holds a BA in mathematics from Reed College.

A Texan abroad in Portland, Jay enjoys riding his bike around town, alternating trips to the Oregon Coast and the Cascades, sci-fi and fantasy novels, and tabletop role-playing games.

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Jay's Articles — page 2

A Guide to Portland’s Charter Change

Questions about ballot measure 26-228? We’ve got answers.

Oct 12, 2022

October 12, 2022

Jay Lee

https://www.sightline.org/profile/nakeshia-diop/

Research Assistant
Summer Recap: Changing Portland’s City Charter

Where ballot measure 26-228's reforms stand, less than two months from Election Day.

Sep 27, 2022

September 27, 2022

Jay Lee

https://www.sightline.org/profile/jay-lee/

Senior Research Associate, Democracy
When Cities Switch To One-Winner Council Districts, Housing Growth Plummets

Housing growth drops 20 percent, on average, in cities making the sort of switch proposed by Portland’s Commissioner Mapps.

Sep 22, 2022

September 22, 2022

Jay Lee

https://www.sightline.org/profile/michael-andersen/

Director, Cities and Towns
San Juan County (WA) Council Blocks Ranked Choice Voting and Other Charter Amendments from November Ballot

In a setback for county residents and democracy reforms sprouting up across Cascadia, Councilors claimed without explanation that the amendments did not comply with provisions of the Charter.

Aug 4, 2022

August 4, 2022

Jay Lee

https://www.sightline.org/profile/jay-lee/

Senior Research Associate, Democracy
Portland Charter Commission Unanimously Advances Reform Proposals in Preliminary Vote

Voters could approve changes to the city’s elections and form of government this November.

Apr 1, 2022

April 1, 2022

Jay Lee

https://www.sightline.org/profile/jay-lee/

Senior Research Associate, Democracy
Some of the Big Questions Left for Portland’s Charter Commission

The commission has a few loose ends to sew up before proposing ballot measures.

Mar 10, 2022

March 10, 2022

Jay Lee

https://www.sightline.org/profile/jay-lee/

Senior Research Associate, Democracy
Ditching Odd-Year Elections Would Give More Washingtonians a Say in Local Government

House Bill 1727 would do away with the elections that many voters forget.

Jan 21, 2022

January 21, 2022

Jay Lee

https://www.sightline.org/profile/jay-lee/

Senior Research Associate, Democracy
Proportional Representation Helps Candidates, Too

Tired of focusing on fundraising just to keep your campaign afloat? Voters aren’t the only ones who can benefit from fairer election systems.

Dec 1, 2021

December 1, 2021

Jay Lee

https://www.sightline.org/profile/kristineberhard/

Fellow
How Proportional Representation Gave American Voters Meaningful Representation in the 1900s

And how racial fears and the Red Scare stopped it in its tracks.

Oct 5, 2021

October 5, 2021

Jay Lee

https://www.sightline.org/profile/jay-lee/

Senior Research Associate, Democracy
In Some Cities, Most Voters Put Someone They Want on City Council—But Not Portland

Sep 29, 2021

September 29, 2021

Jay Lee

https://www.sightline.org/profile/kristineberhard/

Fellow

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Jay Lee

Jay's Articles — page 2

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