If only we had a magic wand



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Hi Friend,



Recently, a few team members here at Unite America HQ contemplated the
question: “If you had a magic wand, how would you improve our politics?” It
should come as no surprise that our collective answer was: We would use our
powers to pass sweeping election reforms that give voters more voice and
choice. If only it were as easy as saying abracadabra to make these hopes come
true.



The good news is that real headway is being made on these reforms without the
assistance of magic, as nonpartisan primaries are being considered in several
states across the country, including most recently in Montana, where Top-Two
passed the first legislative chamber this week. Perhaps the most magical part
of election reform, so to speak, is that there isn’t merely one way to put
country over party and get to the outcomes we’re looking to achieve.





The Denver mayoral race makes a case for ranked choice voting
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Voters in the Mile High City took to the polls on Tuesday to determine who
would become the city's next mayor. The problem…a winner wasn’t decided. Why?
Because voters were faced with aninsane number of candidates to choose
from…we’re talkingenough to fill half a city bus
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! The result? Yep, you guessed it, an upcoming runoff election that is not only
going to cost tax-payers a pretty penny, but is also likely to see extremely
low voter turnout.



While this has undoubtedly been frustrating for Denver voters — and let's not
forget costly —it’s presented the city with a tangible case for why election
reforms, such as ranked choice voting, should be considered in future elections
<[link removed]>. As Kent
Thiry, former CEO of DaVita, aptly wrote ahead of election day in a recentop-ed
inThe Colorado Sun
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:



“[T]he biggest impediment to participation this year may be the sheer number
of candidates, and voters’ difficulty in selecting a single one to support. …
That’s where ranked-choice voting [also known as instant-runoff voting] comes
in.



This is so simple it makes an NCAA bracket look complicated. And it’s
increasingly commonplace. Pew Research has identified more than 260
jurisdictions across the country that have adopted some form of ranked-choice
voting to deliver candidates who appeal to a majority of voters. Imagine that:
candidates who appeal to a majority of voters – it almost sounds like a
democracy!”



So, while Thiry states that there’s “no magic bullet for solving the issues
confronting Denver at the moment,” he highlights how simple and effective
reforms can be implemented in the future to improve our elections.





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Election reforms benefit every voter
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Across the news, there’s been a buzz about election reforms, specifically
about ranked choice voting (RCV), which we’ve highlighted inrecent editions of
this newsletter <[link removed]>. And
while there’s much positive coverage coming out about RCV, includingcalls for
the RNC to embrace it
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, there are naturally somenaysayers raising unfounded concerns
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with the reform. In many ways, it’s a good thing that feathers are ruffled, as
it’s a clear indication that what we’re doing is working as it’s intended to:
it’s giving power to the voters and taking it away from the parties.


However, let’s not allow the influx of coverage around RCV prevent us from
acknowledging the progress made withnonpartisan
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Top-Two
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and
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Top-Four primaries
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, andFinal-Five voting
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, as these reforms areall priorities of the Voters First movement. As a network
of reformers, it’s important to remember that while RCV is a type of election
reform, it is not theonly election reform model that is garnering traction.





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Nonpartisan reforms are best paired with nonpartisan news!
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Last month, our team had the opportunity to speak with Isaac Saul, the creator
ofTangle News <[link removed]> — an independent, non-partisan,
subscriber-supported politics newsletter — to learn more about how his
publication challenges the echo chambers of mainstream media coverage. Tangle
takes an innovative approach to news coverage, as it tackles one considerable
debate in American politics, summarizes the best arguments from the right,
left, and center on that debate, and then shares it online for readers to
enjoy. And as noted ontheir website <[link removed]>, their
approach is not "both sides-ism" Instead, they search the world for the best
arguments about the day's debate and present them side-by-side so readers can
decide what conclusion to make — and people are doing just that! As one reader
wrote:



“As a right-leaning, Libertarian, Trump supporter, I catch myself only
listening to ideas I want to believe. I find the Tangle arguments that lean
left are well reasoned and thought out, allowing me to broaden my thought
processes.” — Todd, Manchester, NH



Check out their website <[link removed]> to learn more!
  

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Regards,



Alana
__
Alana Persson
Unite America

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