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MEET RYAN WIENER
Ryan Wiener, hailing from the
great state of Illinois, has been a volunteer with Country First since
2021. Since joining, Ryan has served as the Chair of State Chapters,
served on the copywriting committee, and continues to be an integral
part of our volunteer team. Ryan is dedicated to furthering Country
First’s mission and promoting democracy across the
country.
"I've
always been active in staying informed on political and social issues.
After seeing what I considered to be an outright attack on my country
by its own in our highest offices I decided I needed to put my effort
into combating it hands on. From first joining nearly 3 years ago to
the present, Ive been able to see us go from a small group to hundreds
of thousands of members along with all the growth and changes
throughout to constantly better the organization and our ability to
affect change. Knowing that we have contributed to getting the right
people elected in multiple elections says it all. I draw inspiration
from a lot of places and the efforts of people like our founders all
the way to modern freedom fighters such as Nelson Mandela. People who
have put their lives on the line for the dream of a democratic
republic here and elsewhere. I try to be as involved with each of our
working groups as possible and help lead the Speakers and the
Electoral reform group. I highly encourage anyone who really wants to
get hands-on to check them out."
Thank you, Ryan, 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
Daily
Herald: Ranked-choice filing deadlines
stay same as Utah moves forward with delayed election
The decision to delay elections in
Utah was not an easy one, according to Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson, who
told the Daily Herald that her office evaluated every possible option
for holding this year’s municipal elections and the special election
for U.S. Rep. Chris Stewart, of Utah’s 2nd Congressional District, in
an efficient and cost-effective manner. On the last day of the 2023
election filing deadline, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox issued a proclamation
moving the primary and general elections back two-to-three
weeks.
KLCC: New
initiative would bring 'STAR Voting' to Eugene elections
This month, petitioners will begin
collecting signatures to overhaul election rules in the city of
Eugene. The initiative would allow voters to rate multiple candidates
instead of choosing just one. Under a STAR Voting system, the public
would score candidates on a scale of zero to five. The two highest
scorers would then enter into an automatic run-off, with the finalist
that more voters preferred becoming the winner.
Hastings
Tribune: My center-right principles led me
to embrace Ranked Choice Voting
I have an embarrassing confession
to make: I’m a political junkie, but I didn’t vote in the last two
federal elections. As a center-right voter, wholly disillusioned with
the direction of my former party, I refuse to “hold my nose” and vote
for candidates who don’t reflect my values. Friends, family, and the
internet try to browbeat me into voting for one of the major party’s
candidates by telling me that not doing so is the equivalent of voting
for “the other side.”
ELECTION DISINFORMATION
The
Hill: Georgia election board dismisses
‘unsubstantiated’ 2020 fraud claim
The State Election Board in Georgia
on Tuesday dismissed a long-running case into alleged election
malfeasance in 2020 after an investigation found that allegations
against two Fulton County poll workers “were false and
unsubstantiated.” “We remain diligent and dedicated to looking into
real claims of voter fraud,” Georgia Secretary of State Brad
Raffensperger said in a press release. “We are glad the state election
board finally put this issue to rest. False claims and knowingly false
allegations made against these election workers have done tremendous
harm. Election workers deserve our praise for being on the front
lines.”
The
Cap Times: Wisconsin elections chief says
‘false claims’ put her job at risk
With the July 1 expiration of her
term looming, Wisconsin’s top, nonpartisan election official sent a
letter to the state’s municipal and county clerks Wednesday indicating
that her future as administrator of the Wisconsin Elections Commission
is uncertain. Meagan Wolfe also hinted in the note that she would like
to remain in the role she’s held since 2018. Wolfe drew the ire of
some Republican lawmakers and scores of election conspiracy theorists
in the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election. She combatted
former President Donald Trump’s falsehoods about how the election was
administered in Wisconsin.
BIPARTISANSHIP
KRCC:
Colorado Springs’ new mayor appears in unity ad with candidate he
beat
The newly sworn in mayor of
Colorado Springs, Yemi Mobolade, has spent some of his remaining
campaign funds on an advertisement that features his former runoff
rival Wayne Williams. The ad encourages unity and civic participation.
Both men are seen wearing t-shirts emblazoned with “LOVE THIS CITY.”
“You know that elections can be hard on a city – win or lose. But that
doesn’t mean we can’t work together for our community,” Williams, a
former Colorado Secretary of State, says in the roughly minute-long
video. “We are united in our love for Colorado Springs,” Mobolade
adds.
Urban
Milwaukee: Bipartisan Bill Makes Attacks
on Election Workers a Felony
Election workers’ identifying
information would be less available to the public and attacks on those
workers would be punished more severely under a proposal circulating
through the state Capitol. The bill’s authors describe it as an
attempt to protect civil servants from harassment, doxxing and
attacks. The bipartisan bill would exempt many records with
identifying information about poll workers from being accessed
publicly, and also make it a felony to physically harm an election
official or worker.
GERRYMANDERING
The Intelligencer:
EXPLAINER: Trial begins in tribes' lawsuit over North Dakota
redistricting map
Two tribes are in federal court
this week, trying to prove to a judge that North Dakota's legislative
district map dilutes Native American voters' strength on their
reservations. A trial began Monday in Fargo in the federal lawsuit
brought last year by the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians and
the Spirit Lake Tribe, who allege the redistricting done in 2021 by
the Republican-led Legislature violates the Voting Rights Act, the
landmark 1965 civil rights law.
Arkansas
Times: A voting rights win in Alabama
launches Arkansas gerrymander lawsuit back into action
The crafty slice-and-dice of
Arkansas’s congressional map that splinters Pulaski County’s bloc of
Democratic-leaning Black voters into three pieces and loops more
white, conservative voters into Republican Rep. French Hill‘s 2nd
District is facing renewed resistance. A surprise decision by the U.S.
Supreme Court earlier this month that’s forcing Alabama to throw out a
similarly discriminatory map has injected new energy into legal
efforts in Arkansas, where multiple lawsuits have been filed over the
map the Arkansas legislature’s Republican supermajority adopted in
2021.
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
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