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Six Republican candidates have launched campaigns for the 2024 presidential primary, and there are still over a dozen potential candidates that could enter the race. Citizen Data asked voters, “in such a crowded field would you like to rank your choices?” 61% of poll respondents said they were at least “somewhat interested” in the option, including the same percentage of Republican respondents. “Ranked choice voting (RCV) solves problems in presidential primaries – it’s no surprise that voters

It is no coincidence that as the nation witnesses an explosion in pro-voter reform successes, partisan state lawmakers across the country are trying to undermine citizen initiatives, and block nonpartisan primary reform and new voting methods designed to give people more choice. In 2023, governors in Idaho and South Dakota have signed laws that prohibit the use of ranked choice voting (RCV) in their states. HB 598 in Montana, which seeks to do the same thing, has passed the legislature, while a

In that writing I spoke of how our elected representatives thrive on the red meat rhetoric they throw out to their base to score political points, rather than attempting to govern. Unfortunately, it is often much easier for them to make statements that generate a strong emotional response...

Update: A Senate bill to implement semi-open primaries passed the Senate in a bipartisan vote on Monday, February 20. Senate Bill 73 would allow unaffiliated voters to choose between a party ballot in taxpayer-funded primary elections. The bill now goes to the state House for consideration. Open primaries are once again before state lawmakers in New Mexico – a state where a quarter of registered voters are denied full and meaningful participation in elections. The bill went before the state Ho

Voters have expressed their desire to see systemic reform to how we elect our public officials. When asked what specific reforms they want in a recent poll, many said they would like to see a proportional representation system -- which would mean a complete election overhaul. What would proportional representation mean? Proportional representation is exactly how it sounds. An electoral district is not represented by a single seat, but multiple seats that are proportionally allocated among can

Here’s the headline from the Washington Post that arrived in my email this week: “Most Americans say Biden has not accomplished much since taking office, Post-ABC poll finds” Upon clicking on the headline, to read more, the actual story at the WaPo continues with these sub-heads: “Most Americans say Biden has accomplished 'not very much' or 'little or nothing' during his time in office” “Most Americans think Biden has not created more jobs, improved roads and bridges, or made electric cars m

The 118th Congress is off to a rocky start. First, it took 15 votes for the majority to elect a Speaker – a debacle that included a scuffle on the House floor. Now, the majority has adopted new House rules that gut (quite literally) the Office of Congressional Ethics. RepresentUs, the nation’s largest anti-corruption organization, has spoken out against the new rules, asserting that they will make it harder to identify and fight corruption in Congress. “What possible explanation could the new

Billionaire industry titan Mark Cuban has a solution for the ongoing Speaker dilemma is the US House: Use ranked choice voting. “Is there a better commercial for Rank Choice Voting than what is going on with the Speaker's vote in the House?” Cuban tweeted Thursday. “The current system, from primary to generals to speaker voting, empowers the extremes to the expense of constituents. Time to change.” This is not the first time Cuban has spoken in favor of ranked choice voting. He praised electio

Independent voters are often ignored by the media and pollsters. They are vilified by the major parties for not picking a side. Yet, in the 2022 midterms and in every election in recent history, independent voters have defined the outcomes. Independent voters have decided presidential and high-profile US Senate and congressional races. Independent voters have also driven historic reform victories to give Americans elections that are fairer, more competitive, and more accountable. This is a seg

The most critical movement right now in the US is to give voters an election system that is accountable, competitive, and free of corruption. Hundreds of organizations across the country are working toward meeting this goal, and many of the movement’s leaders met in December to celebrate victories and discuss next steps. The National Association of Nonpartisan Reformers (NANR) hosted its annual summit in San Diego, California. It was the first time since before the COVID-19 pandemic that member