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Category: election reform

newspapers
WaPo Says Ranked Choice Voting 'Deserves to Pass,' Endorses Initiative 83
The Washington Post Editorial Board has announced its support for ranked choice voting (which will be on the ballot in 4 states and the District of Columbia), encouraging DC residents in particular to support Initiative 83.
07 October, 2024
ballots
Unite America: Extreme Minority Rule in America Is Worse Than You Think
The Unite America (UAI) Institute released new analysis Tuesday that found that less and less US voters (down to 7%) are deciding nearly 90% of US House races in taxpayer-funded primary elections. What’s more, the gap between these numbers is widening.
08 October, 2024
AZ vote
AZ Supreme Court Finally Ends Legal Drama over Prop 140, Says Votes Will Count
Early voting is set to kick off in Arizona this week, and the state Supreme Court has put to bed a legal battle over Prop 140 that has dragged on well past the printing of ballots. The high court ruled that votes for Prop 140 will count. 
06 October, 2024
criwd
US Voters, Activists Set to Rally for Open Primaries Ahead of Historic Elections
The 2024 election cycle is already a historic year for election reform. Six states plus the District of Columbia have measures on the November 5 ballot that, if approved by voters, will open taxpayer-funded primary elections to voters outside the Republican and Democratic Parties.
03 October, 2024
Idaho Capitol Building
Idaho Lawmakers Threaten to Repeal Prop 1 If Voters Pass It
Idaho Republican lawmakers have indicated that because they don't like election reforms in Proposition 1, they will consider repealing or amending the proposal if voters approve it in November. 
02 October, 2024
vote
Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt: 'Open Primaries Aren't a Weird, Foreign Concept'
In a new video posted by the nonpartisan primary reform group Open Primaries, Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt discusses his support for an open primary system in which all candidates have to make their case to all registered voters, regardless of party.
01 October, 2024
Minnesota
Bloomington Activists Fight Effort to Repeal New Ranked Choice Voting System
Bloomington is 1 of 5 cities in Minnesota that uses ranked choice voting for its city elections. However, this could change if opponents to reform have their way in November.
30 September, 2024
voting
Question 3: Will Nevada Once Again Vote for More Choice in Elections?
In 2022, a majority of Nevada voters said 'Yes' to a ballot measure that would open up primaries to all voters and candidates and implement ranked choice voting in the general election. The question is: Will they do it again in 2024?
29 September, 2024
Montana vote
CI-126 and CI-127: Montana Voters Could Permanently Change Who Controls Elections
Montana voters have a choice to make: They can keep the state's partisan primary system, which decides most elections in the state before most voters have a say. Or, they can end party primaries and adopt a system that is open to all voters and candidates at the most critical stage of the process. 
28 September, 2024
vote
Proposition 1: 300,000 Independent Voters Can Pass Historic Election Reform in Idaho
Nearly 300,000 independent voters in Idaho have an opportunity to pass a ballot measure that would guarantee them equal access to taxpayer-funded primary elections without having to affiliate with one of the two major political parties.
28 September, 2024
AZ flag
Former AZ Mayor Says Voters Can End Discrimination Against Independents with Prop. 140
Arizona voters will have several ballot measures to consider when they receive their November ballot. Among them is Proposition 140, which if passed would end partisan primaries in the state and give independent voters and candidates level footing in the elections process.
27 September, 2024
I voted sticker
Amendment H: Are South Dakota Voters Ready to Upend a Partisan Monopoly?
South Dakota voters have a choice in the 2024 election: They can keep an election system that is solely controlled by a single political party, or they can reform elections that allow voters to choose any candidate they prefer, regardless of party under Amendment H. 
26 September, 2024
Washington DC
Initiative 83: Independents Could Make History with DC Election Reform
Independent voters in Washington DC have an opportunity this November to gain access to the city's most critical elections, the primaries, while also implementing ranked choice voting for all District elections with Initiative 83. 
26 September, 2024
vote here
FairVote Report: 70 Statewide, Congressional 2024 Primaries Won with Less Than 50% of Vote
The nonpartisan voting reform group FairVote released a new report Monday that shows that 70 major party statewide and congressional candidates in the 2024 primary cycle advanced to the general election with less than 50% of the vote. 
23 September, 2024
colorado
Colorado Voters Appear Ready to Adopt More Choice Elections in November
A poll commissioned by Colorado Voters First shows that a clear majority (56%) of likely voters in Colorado will or probably will support Proposition 131, a measure that would implement a nonpartisan Top 4 primary with ranked choice voting in the general election.
23 September, 2024
California flag
Elección General de California 2024: Carreras en las que los Votantes Independientes Tendrán una Influencia Decisiva en los Resultados
Como en cada ciclo electoral, Independent Voter News ofrece una cobertura exhaustiva de las elecciones más competitivas en California y cómo los votantes independientes influirán el futuro del Estado de California.
13 September, 2024
mobile
Bradley Tusk: Secure Mobile Voting Can End the Partisan Weaponization of Elections
Tusk Ventures Founder and CEO Bradley Tusk has been making his rounds both in the media and with nonpartisan reform groups to discuss his new book, "Vote with Your Phone: Why Mobile Voting Is Our Final Shot at Saving Democracy," and the need to change incentives in US elections to guarantee less extremism and more accountable representation. 
17 September, 2024
San Diego
San Diego: Two-Thirds of Voters Support More Choice, But Only a Few Candidates Publicly Agree
In May, IVN published a poll revealing that over 67% of voters in San Diego and Chula Vista supported the More Choice San Diego initiative to allow voters to rank up to 5 candidates in the general election, instead of choosing among two.
15 September, 2024
Congress
Lawmakers Introduce Bill That Requires Ranked Choice Voting for All Congressional Elections
On Thursday, September 12, US Reps. Jamie Raskin of Maryland and Don Beyer of Virginia re-introduced the Ranked Choice Voting Act, which if enacted into law would require ranked choice voting for congressional elections.
13 September, 2024
vote stickers
Despite Candidates Needing Independents, US Elections Have Failed These Voters
With the race to Election Day entering the homestretch, the Harris and Trump campaigns are in a full out sprint to reach independent voters, knowing full well that independents have been the deciding vote in every presidential contest since the Obama era. And like clockwork every election season, debates are arising about who independent voters are, whether they matter and even whether they actually exist at all.
11 September, 2024
Bradley Tusk
Bradley Tusk: Every Decision Our Politicians Make Is Self-Serving -- And Partisan Primaries Make It Worse
Veterans for All Voters hosted a recent virtual discussion with Tusk Ventures CEO Badley Tusk as part of their ongoing Reformation Series.
10 September, 2024
vote here
Jasper County Clerk Misleads Missouri Voters on Ranked Choice Voting
Proposition 7 in Missouri will be on the November 5 ballot. If passed, it would not only make noncitizen voting illegal, which is already the law, but it would ban the use of ranked choice voting.
10 September, 2024
vote
Charlottesville Officially Becomes Second Virginia City to Adopt Ranked Choice Voting
In Virginia, the Charlottesville City Council on Tuesday voted to approve the use of ranked choice voting (RCV) in the June 2025 Council primaries.
04 September, 2024
independent voter
The Independent Guide to 6 States (Plus DC) That Could Pass Fairer Elections in 2024
Six states plus the District of Columbia will have measures on their November 5 ballots that, if passed, will reform the way public officials are elected in a way that offers more choice to all voters, regardless of political affiliation.
03 September, 2024
vote
AZ Supreme Court Gives State OK to Mislead Voters on Primary Reform Measure
The Arizona Supreme Court has ruled that voter pamphlet language describing a nonpartisan primary reform initiative as a ranked choice voting initiative can stay.
29 August, 2024
Two Parties
Utah Lawmakers Push Constitutional Amendment to Rewrite, Erase Citizen Ballot Measures
Many voters heard about Robert F Kennedy suspending his 2024 presidential campaign. Many voters heard about the drama over "hot mics" in presidential debates.
28 August, 2024
voted
Former Idaho AG Condemns Baseless Fearmongering over Open Primaries Initiative
Former Idaho Attorney General Jim Jones pushed back against claims that nonpartisan open primaries would lead to gun control in a recent op-ed in the Idaho Press – calling it a fear mongering tactic that has no basis in reality.
26 August, 2024
votes
Not Sure About Ranked Choice Voting? League of Women Voters Explains Its Appeal
The voting reform with the most momentum behind it right now is ranked choice voting (RCV) -- which is increasingly being used in jurisdictions across the US.
20 August, 2024
Vote
AZ Initiative to End Partisan Primaries Survives Another Legal Challenge
Nonpartisan reformers know what is coming when they propose changing the way voters elect public officials. Inevitably, those who benefit from the status quo will turn to the courts to prevent voters from having a say.
20 August, 2024
Charlottesville VA
Charlottesville Could Become Second City in Virginia to Adopt Ranked Choice Voting
The Charlottesville City Council will consider a draft ordinance on Monday, August 19, that if approved would authorize the city's political parties to use ranked choice voting (RCV) in council primaries.
16 August, 2024
Congress
US Lawmakers Tell States to Guarantee Equal Voting Rights for Independents or Lose Federal Funds
Veterans For All Voters hosted a virtual webinar Tuesday with two members of Congress that may be on opposite sides of the political aisle but are sponsors of a bill that ensures independent voters are guaranteed equal voting rights in taxpayer-funded elections.
14 August, 2024
court house
AZ Judge: Lawmakers 'Strategically' Tried to Mislead Voters on Initiative to End Partisan Primaries
Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Melissa Iyer Julian on Monday sided with reformers who claimed that Arizona lawmakers were intentionally trying to mislead voters about their initiative to end partisan primaries.
14 August, 2024
ballot box
New Research: Populism A Key Factor with Cross-Partisan Support for Alaska's Top 4 Elections
New research shows that the nonpartisan Top 4 system used in Alaska not only has broad support among Republicans, Democrats, and independents, but in 2022 elected candidates in statewide elections that had appeal that went beyond their party.
12 August, 2024
i voted
Let Us Vote Spotlight: Independents Have Just as Much Stake in Primaries as Party Members
The Let Us Vote campaign released two citizen spotlight videos that focus not only on the need for primary election systems that treat independent voters equally, but why it is important in a state like South Dakota.
09 August, 2024
voting
Arizona's Make Elections Fair Act: It's Not About Ranked Choice Voting
The Arizona Free Enterprise Club filed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of a ballot initiative that would require state lawmakers to adopt a primary system that allows all voters and candidates, regardless of party, to participate on a single ballot.
05 August, 2024
Andrew
Andrew Yang Q&A: Presidential Shakeup, The Case for a Third Party, and the Need for Better Elections
In his latest podcast, Andrew Yang fielded questions from his audience, including his thoughts on the presidential election, making the case for a third party like the Forward Party, and the importance of systemic election reform.
05 August, 2024
District of Columbia
DC Elections Board Certifies Open Primaries, Ranked Choice Voting Initiative for Ballot
The DC Board of Elections has certified Initiative 83 for the November ballot, which would open primary elections to independent voters and requires ranked choice voting to be used in all District elections.
02 August, 2024
US Congress
House Bill Introduced to Protect All Voters' Rights to Participate in Taxpayer-Funded Elections
A bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced a bill Thursday that would enshrine into law the right independent voters have to participate in all taxpayer-funded elections.
28 July, 2024
Joe Biden
Opinion: Partisan Primaries Failed to Vet Joe Biden
This year’s Democratic Party presidential primary was a choreographed affair dubbed “Operation Bubble Wrap.” The rules were manipulated by party insiders to ensure Joe Biden would face no scrutiny and no competition. The idea that he should stay in the race because he “won the primary” is absurd. There was no primary. By design.
19 July, 2024
Voting Center
Report: More States Banned Ranked Choice Voting in 2024 Than Any Other Year
Ballotpedia released a report on the increased efforts in various states across the US to ban ranked choice voting, a popular nonpartisan reform that continues to gain momentum.
17 July, 2024
voter suppression
Independent Voters Face Abuse and Intimidation in Tennessee Primaries
Last week, I recorded a podcast interview with Gabe Hart. Gabe lives in western Tennessee and is a plaintiff in a lawsuit challenging voter suppression signs that are hung at every poll site in Tennessee on primary day.
16 July, 2024
major parties
Disagree Better: Group of Governors Have Worked to Cool Down the Political Rhetoric
Following the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, leaders of both major political parties have called for unity and for a change to the venomous rhetoric in US politics. 
15 July, 2024
Vote
Idaho Top 4 Initiative with Ranked Choice Voting Certified for November Ballot
The Idaho secretary of state announced this week that Idahoans for Open Primaries turned in enough signatures for its ballot initiative to end the state's closed primary system.
11 July, 2024
ballot box
Richmond, Calif. Will Vote on Ranked Choice Voting in November
The Richmond City Council unanimously approved a ballot measure for November in a 5-0 vote that authorizes the use of ranked choice voting (RCV) for mayor and city council elections. 
10 July, 2024
electoral college
The Partisan Perspective: Your Choice in November is Between Sunscreen and Skin Cancer
In a system that was designed to perpetuate a zero-sum contest between two sides, the stakes get higher each election cycle to convince people they have to cast their ballot a certain way “or else.”
08 July, 2024
2024 ballot
New Documentary Asks: What If Party Bosses Didn't Control How We Vote?
In 2022, Alaska voters used a new election system that changed the way state voters thought about elections.
03 July, 2024
District of Columbia
Can A DC Campaign Bring Political Accountability and Inclusion to A One-Party Town?
It goes without saying that the District of Columbia is a one-party town. Out of the 13 seats that compose the DC City Council, 11 are held by Democrats, and the other two are held by officials registered as independent.
02 July, 2024
ballot
The Fight Continues: Veterans Work to Improve Elections for a More Perfect Union
Imagine this: A general election with no negative campaigning and four or five viable candidates (regardless of party affiliation) competing based on their own personal ideas and actions — not simply their level of obstruction or how well they demonize their opponents.
02 July, 2024
DC
DC Campaign to Submit Over 40K Signatures for Open Primaries, Ranked Choice Voting
A DC campaign has collected more than 40,000 signatures to put an initiative on the city’s ballot that would open primary elections to independent voters and implement ranked choice voting in all District elections.
28 June, 2024
US Capitol
Only 5% of Voters Will Decide Who Represents VA's 5th District
Last week, Virginia’s GOP held primaries for the upcoming House elections in November. As of today, the results for the state’s 5th congressional district are still too close to call.
26 June, 2024
US Capitol
'Democracy' or 'Republic': The Debate Distracts from A Much Larger Problem
Once again, the US finds itself having a familiar discussion. Some people will use the term “democracy” to refer to the US, and then there will inevitably be some who respond with, “We’re not a democracy; we’re a republic.”
20 June, 2024
Gov. Lamont
Gov. Lamont: Growing Consensus of Conn. Voters Favor Ranked Choice Voting
Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont formed a task force this month to come up with a comprehensive legislative proposal by the end of the year that would enable state municipalities and parties to use ranked choice voting (RCV).
18 June, 2024
voting
Poll Shows Strong Support for 'Top Two' Measure in South Dakota
A recent poll shows that 55% of South Dakota voters support Amendment H, which if approved in November will implement a nonpartisan, top-two primary in the state similar to systems used in California and Washington.
13 June, 2024
Arizona
Arizona Initiative: Parties Can Either Accept Open Primaries or Pay for Them
Arizona is ground zero for a novel approach to voting reform that is not getting any attention from the national press, but could have tremendous implications for future elections and provide a fairer process for all voters -- regardless of their political affiliation. 
12 June, 2024
Sumpter and Yang
Yang Speaks With FairVote's CEO About the Future of Ranked Choice Voting
It goes without saying that most voters are dissatisfied with the state of US politics. Hyper-polarization and division are at their worst levels in modern history and nothing is getting done to actually help the American people.
10 June, 2024
vote sticker
Governor Polis Signs Bill That Suppresses the Voice of Colorado Voters
Colorado Governor Jared Polis signed an elections bill Thursday that will make it harder for voters to create an electoral system that offers more choice to voters, regardless of their political affiliation.
10 June, 2024
voting
Santa Clara Could Be First CA County to Adopt Ranked Choice Voting
The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors may consider implementing ranked choice voting (RCV) for county elections in August. If it moves forward with the change, Santa Clara would be the 9th jurisdiction to approve its use – and would be the first to approve it for county elections.
05 June, 2024
Colorado
Amendments Snuck Into Co. Elections Bill to Thwart the Will of Voters
A bill is currently on Colorado Gov. Jared Polis’ desk that if signed into law would place barriers on the will of the people being carried out should they approve nonpartisan primaries and a ranked voting method in November. 
03 June, 2024
Texas Capitol Building
Texas GOP Approves Party Rule Change to Close Primary Elections
For anyone who thinks party rules are not put above state law or the will of voters -- look no further than Texas. 
29 May, 2024
vote
Montana Initiatives Add to Growing Demand for Fairer Primaries, More Choice in Elections
Montana may be on the verge of joining a growing movement across the country to give voters a fairer elections process that offers more choice and greater accountability. 
28 May, 2024