Alan McConchie's Avatar

Alan McConchie

@mappingmashups.net

Was @mappingmashups on Twitter. Now I’m all-in on Mastodon, so go follow me there: https://subdued.social/@alan Just here to run the socials for @stamen.com and to nag you all to join Mastodon. Advocate of the #BellinghamWA hashtag

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19.08.2023
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Latest posts by Alan McConchie @mappingmashups.net

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Holdout Democrats leave WA House support for income tax in doubt • Washington State Standard The votes weren’t there yet late Wednesday for Democrats’ income tax bill in the Washington state House. Democratic members are withholding support for the proposed income tax on millionaires, saying ...

Hey #WashingtonState & especially those in #WhatcomCounty: Call the legislative hotline today at 800-562-6000 in support of SB 6346, the Millionaires Tax. Now it needs a vote in the state House, but Rep. Alicia Rule of the 42nd LD so far is against it. washingtonstatestandard.com/2026/03/04/h...

05.03.2026 18:33 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Proportional Representation, Explained
Proportional Representation, Explained YouTube video by Sightline Institute

New video explaining #ProportionalRepresentation from @sightline.org www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PWe...

05.03.2026 18:16 👍 4 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0
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Permanent time observation in the United States - Wikipedia

Correction: #California approved the idea of #PermanentDST in a ballot measure in 2018, but the legislature failed to pass the needed legislation.

Also, this is my new favorite Wikipedia page: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Permane...

02.03.2026 22:34 👍 2 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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B.C. to end time changes, adopt year-round daylight time | CBC News March 8 will be the last time most British Columbians have to change their clocks, B.C. Premier David Eby announced Monday.

Big news in Cascadia: British Columbia will switch to permanent #DaylightSavingTime. Clocks will change for the last time on March 8 and then will not switch back in the fall.

www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

02.03.2026 21:56 👍 1 🔁 1 💬 1 📌 0
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Season 2 Trailer: The Federal Republic of Germany After the end of World War II, Germany adopted a new electoral system designed to prevent a faction like the Nazis from taking over government ever again. In our new season, we compare how far-right m...

Very excited that there's another season coming of the excellent #podcast "The Future of Our Former Democracy". If you want to understand the social context of the electoral reforms that I keep going on about, this podcast is a great listen! #RankedChoiceVoting

play.megaphone.fm/jje8qgvlr3ih...

19.02.2026 22:06 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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Legislation | FairVote Washington Learn about ranked-choice voting for presidential primaries and the local options bill

Immediate action needed today to help #RankedChoiceVoting in Washington State! Call the legislative hotline at 1-800-562-6000, and leave a message for your House Representatives that you strongly support bringing HB 2210 (the VOICES Act) bill to the floor before Tuesday's 5 PM cutoff!

17.02.2026 18:42 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Done!

05.02.2026 20:05 👍 2 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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🏁 The race is on! Can we count on each of you to ask 3 friends to sign in PRO for the Millionaires Tax? Let's show lawmakers that we're ready to balance our tax code and fund the necessities!

Send your friends this link ➡️ https://investwanow.org/sign-pro-millionaires-tax

05.02.2026 19:38 👍 4 🔁 3 💬 1 📌 2
CSI

Another action to help #RankedChoiceVoting in Washington State:

If you're a Washington voter, sign in "pro" for SHB 2210 before its hearing at the House Appropriations Committee tomorrow (Thu Feb 5) at 10:30am

app.leg.wa.gov/csi/Testifie...

04.02.2026 18:10 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
A grid of twelve minimalist maps of Bellingham, Washington, created from OpenStreetMap data and suitable for printing as posters

A grid of twelve minimalist maps of Bellingham, Washington, created from OpenStreetMap data and suitable for printing as posters

My friend Nathan Carnes generated a full set of #BellinghamWA maps using #OpenStreetMap data and the #MapToPoster script by Ankur Gupta. View and download them here:

bellingham-maps.nathancarnes.com

Make your own here: github.com/originalanku...

28.01.2026 19:00 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
"You’re seeing a new kind of map.

Our Constellation Map reimagines how Indigenous nations can be shown by highlighting relationships, connections, and presence rather than strict borders.

This map displays nations as glowing points linked together in a constellation-like network, with only faint hints of territorial shapes in the background. It’s a way of inviting users to explore Indigenous land, waters, and people through a more interconnected lens."

"You’re seeing a new kind of map. Our Constellation Map reimagines how Indigenous nations can be shown by highlighting relationships, connections, and presence rather than strict borders. This map displays nations as glowing points linked together in a constellation-like network, with only faint hints of territorial shapes in the background. It’s a way of inviting users to explore Indigenous land, waters, and people through a more interconnected lens."

Loving the new "Constellation Map" view on Native Land Digital:

native-land.ca/maps/constel...

#NativeLand #IndigenousMapping #NativeLandDigital

15.12.2025 23:15 👍 13 🔁 4 💬 0 📌 0
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New poll: Voters want Democrats to win in NJ, VA and in 2026, as they push back on Trump Plus: Voters trust Democrats more than Republicans to handle the economy; a majority of voters say Trump is acting above the law; and 62% say the country is off on the wrong track

Good news for #ProportionalRepresentation:

"48% of adults say they would support a system where states are required to assign seats in the U.S. House in proportion to the number of votes won statewide, while 19% are opposed. 32% of respondents said 'don’t know'"

open.substack.com/pub/gelliott...

07.11.2025 06:14 👍 5 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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Moon Duchin on the ‘Mathematical Quagmire’ of Gerrymandering

www.nytimes.com/2025/11/03/s...

Gerrymandering researcher Moon Duchin: "I think taking a hard look at the design of electoral systems could get us out of this nuclear moment. One system I’m studying is proportional ranked choice voting, also known as the single transferable vote method."

03.11.2025 18:12 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0
A screenshot of a black and white map with encroaching shadows around the margins. Overlaid on the map is the text "Dark greetings! (bat emoji) We took our iconic Toner map style..."

A screenshot of a black and white map with encroaching shadows around the margins. Overlaid on the map is the text "Dark greetings! (bat emoji) We took our iconic Toner map style..."

Another screenshot of a dark map, with the image of two vampires from the TV show "What We Do In The Shadows". Text overlaid on the image says "...into the darkness with two new variations"

Another screenshot of a dark map, with the image of two vampires from the TV show "What We Do In The Shadows". Text overlaid on the image says "...into the darkness with two new variations"

Screenshot of a dark map with the text "Read more about Toner Dark..."

Screenshot of a dark map with the text "Read more about Toner Dark..."

Screenshot of a dark map with the text "... and Toner Blacklite on the Stamen blog"

Screenshot of a dark map with the text "... and Toner Blacklite on the Stamen blog"

What do we map in the shadows?

Our iconic Toner map style, now in dark mode! Read about how we developed "Toner Dark" and "Toner Blacklite" on the blog now: stamen.com/what-we-map-....

Both styles are available from our friends at @stadiamaps@en.osm.town here: stadiamaps.com/explore-the-....

31.10.2025 16:33 👍 5 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0
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Our pretty new train is on its way to the east coast for more tests. In 2026, Amtrak Cascades will operate 8 new trains. The trains feature a Pacific Northwest-inspired design, comfy seats, big windows, and regional food and beverages.

22.10.2025 16:30 👍 72 🔁 7 💬 2 📌 2
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The Soaked Canopies Near the Salish Sea The Pacific Northwest is known for its cool, wet climate. But this is no drab and dreary landscape.

Beautiful map of precipitation and tree canopy height around the #SalishSea, by Dave Taylor of Pathfinder Geospatial:

www.maps.com/the-soaked-c...

22.10.2025 22:07 👍 5 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0

Hello friends!

No, Maptime HQ is not "back", we are still on indefinite hiatus.

But! There are still many decentralized #maptime chapters that are active around the world, so we wanted to create a centralized MaptimeHQ account to *occasionally* repost that mappy goodness.

We miss you all! ❤️🌈

09.10.2025 21:24 👍 12 🔁 4 💬 2 📌 0

There's also a Slack group, where I can invite you. Some people will still see messages there, but mostly it's quiet.

09.10.2025 20:42 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

@mapcenter.com yup I use either "maptime" or "Maptime" without capitalizing the T.

And yes, I think we can still accept PRs on the Maptime github, and will happily add you as a contributor to the github org.

09.10.2025 20:41 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0
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Our politics is as dysfunctional as ever. Voters want change, but our elections leave tens of millions w/out real choices on their ballot or a voice in our democracy.

A new report from the American Academy of Arts & Sciences shows how #ProportionalRepresentation can change that.

Full report below🧵

09.10.2025 20:10 👍 7 🔁 4 💬 1 📌 0
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Listen to live Moss Landing CA radio on Radio Garden Listen to live Moss Landing CA radio on Radio Garden

Important alert for people who like working while a light white noise is playing in the background, there is a family of whales singing next to the Moss Landing Marine Lab hydrophone right now and you should listen! radio.garden/visit/moss-l...

09.10.2025 14:03 👍 201 🔁 68 💬 17 📌 20

It was so much fun working on these fascinating brain maps for UCSF neuroscientists! Check it out:

07.10.2025 17:47 👍 2 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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Subdued Saunter 2025 Bellingham's premier long-distance trekking event

This looks awesome:

"Join us for the first ever Bellingham Subdued Saunter! A self-paced nearly 20 mile walk exploring Bellingham." givebutter.com/subduedsaunter

#BellinghamWA

23.09.2025 18:24 👍 3 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0

I just added one of these to #OpenStreetMap. Need to get these local tree experts involved in mapping! #BellinghamWA

23.09.2025 18:23 👍 2 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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Vote-at-home is the law in Washington — and it works • Washington State Standard COMMENTARY | The U.S. Constitution grants states the authority to conduct federal elections, and Congress sets certain minimum standards. Here in Washington, our Legislature has determined that vote-a...

Commentary from 25 county auditors in #WashingtonState: "Vote-at-home is the law in Washington — and it works"

washingtonstatestandard.com/2025/09/16/v...

#Elections #VoteByMail #uspol #USPolitics

17.09.2025 16:22 👍 1 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0

Happy National Voter Registration Day to those who celebrate

16.09.2025 20:50 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

gerrymandering in pre-warp cultures

11.09.2025 20:13 👍 252 🔁 27 💬 6 📌 0

#KPopDemonHunters #PopVsSoda

11.09.2025 20:30 👍 7 🔁 4 💬 0 📌 1

This is a big deal! #RankedChoiceVoting & #ProportionalRepresentation are in the top 5 issues that local voters care about. Voters are fed up with dysfunctional government, and they know electoral reform can fix our democracy. Now will our local elected officials pay attention to what voters want?

11.09.2025 18:11 👍 2 🔁 2 💬 0 📌 0
The Map Center
The Map Center YouTube video by You Are Here

One of my customers had so much fun visiting the Map Center that he came back a few days later with a camera. He made this magnificent short documentary about my store, about me, and why I bother to do any of it at all.

It's really lovely and I hope you watch it!
youtu.be/Dj9uKpk3Idk?...

25.08.2025 12:20 👍 121 🔁 31 💬 9 📌 2