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‍ The nonpartisan reform group FairVote released a new report Wednesday that examines the impact ranked choice voting had on the 4 Democratic presidential primaries and caucus that used ranked choice voting for the first time in 2020. The conclusion? Voters took advantage of RCV, made few errors, and turned out in much higher numbers. The Democratic Parties in Alaska, Wyoming, Kansas, and Hawaii transitioned from caucuses to all-mail RCV primaries, the combination resulting in a spike in turno

Voting is a right; This shouldn’t be a controversial statement but it is. The struggle to ensure that every adult United States citizen has the right to vote has been going on since the founding of our country. Right now, our right to vote is threatened by the COVID-19 pandemic and by apathy in some state legislatures. I am an intern for an organization called "The People.” We are proudly nonpartisan with members from all walks of life and different backgrounds. To quote our website, "The Peop

We know it can be hard to see past all the troubling news coming out of 2020. Yet, even in these trying times, we do have something to celebrate: Reform is WINNING. In the past month, our members broke signature records in Massachusetts, won monumental court victories in Alaska, and overcame the duopoly’s barriers in Florida, and so many other places. The momentum remains on our side and we are not slowing down. From San Diego to St. Louis and beyond, we have set the stage for a big November

First, on behalf of the NANR Board, I want to thank our members for making NANR's first Spotlight program on June 8 a big success, highlighting the important work our members are doing to ensure safe and secure elections in times of crises. We’ve elevated the reform conversation for legislators, journalists, and reform practitioners across the country, who now have a better understanding of what we are all about, and the reform solutions we bring to the table to ensure a better representative d

Most Americans believe the US is headed in the wrong direction, trust in the federal government is at dismal levels, and people are consumed by frustration, grief, and/or rage in uncertain and tumultuous times. As former Gehl Foods CEO and prominent political reform activist Katherine Gehl said recently, “Things are not alright with our country.” LISTEN NOW: How We End Division, Dysfunction, and Inaction in a Democracy in Crisis Yet, the public has long felt the US was headed in the wrong d

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the inadequacies of most elections in the US, specifically when it comes to protecting the right of voters in the midst of a crisis. However, two reforms have taken center stage in the ongoing conversation on how to provide safe and secure elections going forward: vote at home and ranked choice voting. The National Association of Nonpartisan Reformers (NANR), in partnership with Unite America, hosted a virtual discussion over Zoom on Tuesday, June 8, to spotli

Voter Choice for Massachusetts 2020 (Voter Choice Mass) announced Wednesday that it has smashed the signature requirement to get ranked choice voting on the November ballot well ahead of the petition deadline. Not only that, people working with the campaign say it is on pace to collect the most signatures for a ballot initiative in Massachusetts history. In an email to supporters, the campaign said it has collected 17,084 raw signatures, and is averaging over 800 new signatures per day. It need

Many are aware by now that US Rep. Justin Amash has decided not to run for president -- citing the cumbersome realities the current political system presents to candidates outside the two major parties. “After much reflection, I’ve concluded that circumstances don’t lend themselves to my success as a candidate for president this year, and therefore I will not be a candidate,” said Amash. However, what got less attention in the mainstream conversation is what Amash said after this. The r

New York state cannot cancel the Democratic presidential primary, according to a ruling by a federal judge on Tuesday after top Democratic leaders tried to remove presidential candidates from the June primary ballot. The state’s Democratic leadership reportedly used concerns over Coronavirus as the reason for dropping the presidential contest, yet still planned to move forward with down-ballot races. This prompted an outcry, claiming Gov. Andrew Cuomo was just trying to help presumptive Democra

When it comes to changing the rules for gathering signatures to get on the ballot during the coronavirus crisis, some states have been more lenient than others. In Massachusetts, a state court has loosened signature requirements for politicians this year, given the national health concerns. But a federal court in Arizona did not consider doing the same for ballot measure campaigns. Two Arizona campaigns sought permission to gather signatures electronically rather than in person because of Covi