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MEET MAX FREDRICKSMEYER
Max Fredricksmeyer, hailing from the great state of Colorado,
has been a volunteer with Country First since. Since joining, Max has
served as the co-chair of the National Next Generation Advisory
Council and is committed to advancing the movement among college
students.
"I come
from a politically diverse household and grew up understanding how to
disagree with people and remain cordial and friendly. In addition, I
view civil debate as the crux of effective government. However, since
polarization and political hostility became more intense, people seem
to have forgotten how to interact civilly with those of differing
viewpoints. When I heard that Congressman Kinzinger had formed a
movement seeking to combat this hostility, I knew it was something
that I had to be a part of. In spreading the Country First movement, I
feel I am making an impact and working towards a better tomorrow. In
addition, Country First has allowed me to interact with people from
all walks of life and learn about their experiences in such a divisive
political time. Moreover, I have had the opportunity to connect with
some of the nation's brightest and principled young leaders. More than
anything else, my experiences with Country First replaced my pessimism
with optimism for the nation's future. In speaking with so many
individuals with diverse views and backgrounds, I believe that common
in every true American is a desire for democracy over autocracy, unity
over division, and love over hate."
Thank you, Max, for all of your hard work and dedication to
promoting and preserving democracy! If you have an idea for someone
who should be featured in a future Memo, reach out to [email protected].
ELECTION
REFORM
NY1:
How does ranked-choice voting
work?
Ranked-choice
voting is back on New York City’s ballots. The system of voting allows
New Yorkers to rank candidates running for office in order of
preference. Here's a refresher on how ranked-choice voting works. Your
ballot will include a list of candidates, each of whom will have five
bubbles displayed next to their names. Fill out the bubble for your
top preferred candidate in the first-choice column. Then, if you want
to, you can fill in a bubble for your second, third, fourth and fifth
choices in the second, third, fourth and fifth columns,
respectively.
Caledonian
Record: Maine
considers ranked choice voting for governor
races
Maine is advancing
a proposal that would make it the second state to elect its governor
using ranked choice voting, and it is expected for a vote in the state
Legislature in the coming weeks after receiving a key committee
approval. Maine and Alaska both use the ranked voting format for
congressional and presidential elections, and cities in many other
states are embracing it for mayoral and other elections. Alaska uses a
version of it for governor. Proponents of ranked voting say it
prevents “spoiler” candidates and promotes cooperation, civility and
political moderates.
The
Hour: Letter to the
editor: Ranked-choice voting benefits all
parties
In March,
ranked-choice voting advocates organized hours of testimony from
dozens of Connecticut voters in support of a bill which, among other
things, proposed allowing political parties to use RCV in party
primaries. The bill secured written testimony from Gov. Ned Lamont in
addition to numerous young voters who feel unheard and unrepresented
in our democracy and veterans who fear that our elections are
increasingly designed to boost incendiary candidates. RCV offers
tremendous benefit to voters by promoting collaborative candidates and
increasing competition in our elections, thus pushing more candidates
to listen to and engage with their voters, but political parties stand
to reap rewards from employing RCV in their primary elections, too.
2024 ELECTION
NBC:
States have introduced nearly 200 bills
this year to 'subvert' elections, report
finds
Legislators in 38
states have introduced nearly 200 bills this year that would allow
state governments to "subvert" elections, according to a report by
three nonpartisan groups tracking such bills. The analysis found that
legislators — predominantly Republicans — put forward 185 bills in
their state legislative sessions from Jan. 1 through May 3 that would
increase the risk of subversion by politicizing, criminalizing or
interfering with elections.
USA Today: Miami
Mayor Francis Suarez joins 2024 race. Here's why his GOP bid matters
and how he could win
Miami Mayor Francis Suarez
officially launched his 2024 presidential campaign Thursday, pitching
himself to voters as a candidate focused on solutions, not
divisiveness.
"In Miami, we stopped waiting for
Washington to lead," Suarez said in his announcement video. "America's
so-called leaders confuse being loud with actually leading."
But to win the Republican
nomination, Suarez must beat back two other Floridians blocking his
path to the presidency: former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov.
Ron DeSantis. Suarez has, in the past, placed himself at odds with the
two GOP frontrunners.
The
Hill: No Labels pledges to end third-party
push if Biden 'way' ahead of Trump in spring
Political organization No Labels
committed to end its third-party push if polling shows President Biden
"way" ahead of former President Trump next spring. No Labels, a
bipartisan group, has been pursuing an effort to launch a "unity
ticket" in the 2024 presidential election that would include a
Republican and a Democrat "if the two parties select unreasonably
divisive presidential nominees." Trump and Biden are currently leading
the polls among candidates in their respective parties. Democrats are
wary of third-party recruitment pushes amid concerns that most polls
show it would benefit Trump more than Biden.
GERRYMANDERING
ABC: New voting
districts could change again in some states before the 2024
elections
The 2022 elections marked the first
using new voting districts drawn from updated census data. Those
districts typically last for a decade, but they could be short-lived
in some states. Court challenges could force lawmakers or special
commissions to draw yet another set of maps before the 2024 elections
for representatives in Congress and state capitols. That means voters
who were just shifted into new U.S. House or state legislative
districts could be grouped with different communities when they go to
vote the next time.
The
State: Racial gerrymandering in Alabama
slapped down by SCOTUS. Could the same happen in SC?
South Carolina voting rights
advocates who challenged how the state’s Congressional districts were
drawn are "encouraged" by a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision that
rejected Alabama’s congressional map. The Alabama case mirrors
concerns raised in South Carolina, specifically that both state’s
Congressional maps discriminate against Black voters. The U.S. Supreme
Court ruled last Thursday that Alabama’s map violated the federal
Voting Rights Act. The 5-4 ruling upheld a lower court decision that
said Alabama’s map was likely unconstitutional because it included
only one majority Black seat out of seven districts in a state where
more than one in four residents is Black.
Actions you can take right now to
help make a difference!
WATCH our latest advertisement, highlighting all
the ways #DefaultDon has defaulted! Share it with your friends!
SIGN tthe petition pledging your support of the
recent removal of Tucker Carlson and reaffirm your commitment to the
truth!
SHOP our Limited Edition Stand for Truth cap, signed by Adam
Kinzinger!
BRING a friend to one of our events! Your
unique recruiter link:
https://www.country1st.com/sandlot?recruiter_id=29853
Check out our Volunteer
Working Groups!
As a grassroots coalition, Country
First is dedicated to providing each member with the opportunity to
contribute to the success of the movement. National Volunteer Working
Groups are separated by interest and are aligned with one of Country
First’s key pillars.
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