Sixteen years ago, I joined FairVote Minnesota as Executive Director as we worked to make meaningful change to our electoral system by expanding Ranked Choice Voting in our state. In 2007, I had no idea how critical this fight for our democracy would become.
Over the past few election cycles, we’ve witnessed an increasingly divided electorate, rising levels of polarization and even threats of violence against poll workers, candidates and elected officials. These threats to our democracy have not abated; indeed they are only getting worse. We must do everything we can to mitigate the extremism we are seeing in our politics and ensure that all our political leaders are motivated to work on behalf of the majority of voters. RCV is a reform needed at this moment.
And now, our tireless advocacy for RCV has yielded important progress this year. The State Government Omnibus bill sets up a study led by the Secretary of State, and in consultation with election administrators and other stakeholders, to examine how best to implement RCV in Minnesota for local and state elections –– the most significant legislative progress to date for RCV in our state.
But our work is far from over. The challenges we face to expand RCV locally and statewide require sustained effort and resources. That's why we are reaching out to you today, once again, to ask for your continued support as we head into the next month.
By making a donation to FairVote Minnesota, you will be making a direct investment in the future of our democracy. Will you join me in this fight?
