Category: election reform

A legal showdown over the future of campaign finance laws in Maine — and potentially nationwide — begins May 22 as a federal judge is set to hear oral arguments over a voter-approved cap on contributions to super PACs at a time when these groups continue to shatter records in election spending.

Many voters may not be aware that on May 1 the Federal Election Commission (FEC) lost its ability to enforce federal campaign finance and election laws after Republican Allen Dickerson departed the agency, leaving it without the quorum it needs to perform its most important roles.

Alaskans made history in 2020 when they passed the first-in-the-nation election system that not only eliminated party primaries but adopted a voting system for the general election that gave them the option to rank candidates in order of preference.

A bill that would open Pennsylvania primary elections to over 1.4 million registered independent voters, HB 280, cleared its first major hurdle to becoming law this week when it cleared the House State Government Committee.

On May 14, the Boston City Council voted 8–4 in favor of a Home Rule Petition allowing voters to rank candidates in order of preference, a shift that could change how Bostonians elect their leaders.

Voters in Chula Vista are signaling strong support for election reform. A recent independent poll conducted by Competitive Edge Research & Communication and funded by the Independent Voter Project shows that nearly two-thirds of voters support the More Choice Voting measure, a proposed change that would give voters the ability to rank candidates and increase the number of candidates who advance to general elections.

A Marist College poll released Wednesday found that former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has emerged as the frontrunner in the Democratic primary for New York City mayor – which would make him the odds-on favorite to unseat Mayor Eric Adams.

The Dispatch ran a piece Monday titled, New Hampshire Dems Want Their ‘First in the Nation’ Primary Back. The question it asks is: Will the Democratic National Committee (DNC) restore the state’s prestigious spot as the first presidential primary of consequence?

Legislation that would significantly reshape Oklahoma’s initiative petition process is one step closer to becoming law after the state House passed a revised version of Senate Bill 1027 last week. If signed into law, the bill would place additional hurdles in front of Oklahoma citizens who want to reform the electoral and political processes in their state.

Former US Senator Joe Manchin publicly condemned recent moves by West Virginia lawmakers to ban ranked choice voting and potentially restrict independent voters from participating in primary elections, calling the developments "political gamesmanship."