John --



Right now, if the polls are to be believed, the GOP nominee for PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES is going to be Donald Trump -- by a landslide. And I know I'm singing to the choir when I say that is just too grave and unacceptable a threat to democracy.

That man should never again be anywhere near our Oval Office, and his name even appearing on the November ballot is too close for me.





I've been thinking a lot about what Country First can do to shift the center of gravity, and the first step is GETTING THE TRUTH ON STAGE at the Republican debates. Right now, there's only one candidate with a good shot at getting on stage who has the courage to call out Trump's lies, conduct, and crimes to his face: Governor Chris Christie.





Now I've had my fair share of disagreements with Chris Christie, and I'm not telling you he should be President. BUT, if he doesn't meet the threshold of individual donors necessary to participate in the first three debates, there will literally be no one on stage willing to say "the Emperor has no clothes."



And this is why I'm encouraging every reasonable Republican, Democrat, and Independent to give just $1 to GET THE TRUTH ON STAGE. Every donor will count toward the total Chris Christie needs to make the stage.





>> Get the Truth on Stage for just $1 <[link removed]>







<[link removed]>





It's important to remember, your $1 isn't an endorsement of Christie's policies or candidacy -- you should obviously vote for whomever you think is the best candidate in both the primary and general elections. All your $1 is doing is GETTING TRUTH ON STAGE. And, frankly, that's a small price to pay to defend democracy <[link removed]>.







I've chipped in. Will you join me?







Country First,







Adam







PS: Did you know Country First volunteers put together our weekly Movement Memo? Check it out below.















<[link removed]>







Replay of Campfire with GA Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger!



Last week, tens of thousands joined us for our monthly virtual campfire: Guardians of Democracy ft. Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R-GA), who courageously refused President Trump's request to fraudulently declare him the winner in Georgia. Watch here! <[link removed]>



<[link removed]>



Upcoming Events



July 18 at 8pm ET 



- National Communications Volunteer Working Group Town Hall <[link removed]>



July 19 at 8pm ET 



- National Electoral Reform Volunteer Working Group Town Hall <[link removed]>



July 20 at 8pm ET 



- National Speaker Series Volunteer Working Group Town Hall <[link removed]>

- National Mending Divisions Volunteer Working Group Town Hall <[link removed]>







MEET DAVE RAPIDS



Dave Rapids, hailing from the great state of Maryland, has been a volunteer with Country First since 2021. Since joining, Dave has served as the National Membership Experience Chair here at Country First, and continues to be an integral part of our volunteer team. 



"I wanted to be a part of something bigger than myself. I have seen political extremism, the denial of truth, and a lack of hope in our future tear apart communities and families. Country First was not only working to take on the division head on – it was doing so in an inspiring way. From volunteer engagement to member support to voter education to outreach, I help support and empower members and volunteers at all levels. Our members and volunteers are so welcoming, so passionate, so enthusiastic, and so optimistic that it really makes Country First feel like a home... Interacting with them, hearing their stories gives me so much hope in the difference we are making. Hearing the encouraging stories, the positivity, and optimism truly inspires me and keeps me going. We have so many different ways and opportunities to get involved, and so many ways to interact and meet new people. We can only defeat the extremes threatening our democracy and holding proven solutions hostage if we do it together." 



Thank you, Dave, 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] <mailto:[email protected]>.







ELECTION REFORM



<[link removed]>Los Angeles Times <[link removed]>: Column: Think our politics stink? Look north — to Alaska



Last year, Alaska tried something unique. It became the first state to use an election system that placed all candidates on the same ballot, with the four top vote-getters, regardless of party, moving to a runoff where voters ranked their preferences. (Go ahead, impress friends at your holiday barbecue by using the technical terms, blanket ballot and ranked-choice voting.) One purpose of the system, approved by voters in 2020, was to weed out extremists by making it harder for candidates to be elected simply by appealing to the hard-liners of their party’s base. <[link removed]>



Idaho Capital Sun <[link removed]>: Idaho’s open primary supporters cleared to gather signatures, but will weigh legal options  



The state cleared supporters of a proposed open primary ballot initiative to begin collecting signatures to qualify the initiative for the 2024 general election, the Idaho Secretary of State’s Office announced Friday afternoon. However, supporters of the initiative said they will spend a few days deciding whether to challenge the ballot titles that were assigned by the Idaho Attorney General’s Office, said Luke Mayville, the co-founder of Reclaim Idaho, which joined the Idahoans For Open Primaries coalition that is supporting the ballot initiative. 



Truthout <[link removed]>: Oregon Legislature Advances Ballot Question on Ranked-Choice Voting



Next fall, Oregon residents will vote on whether to implement ranked-choice voting in statewide races. Democratic lawmakers in the state legislature passed House Bill 2004 on Sunday. The bill will pose the question of ranked-choice voting to voters themselves, asking on the November 2024 ballot whether the system should be adopted for use in a number of federal and state elections — including elections for president, the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, and gubernatorial and statewide posts.



ELECTION MISINFORMATION



Politico <[link removed]>: The self-inflicted voting machine misinformation crisis looming over 2024



The federal government is about to change its certification guidelines for voting machines — and election officials across the country are bracing for a wave of misinformation that erodes trust in the 2024 election. Election officials are not-so-quietly freaking out that this long-awaited technical overhaul of voting machine guidelines later this year will be weaponized against them. The officials, who are used to operating in relative obscurity, just endured two election cycles in which seemingly benign issues blew up in their face. Now they’re afraid it’s happening all over again.



AP <[link removed]>: Study of 2022 Arizona election misrepresented on social media



CLAIM: A new study proves 8,000 more ballots were counted than voters who actually voted in Arizona during the 2022 midterm election. AP’S ASSESSMENT: False. The study by a pro-Trump think tank only suggested there was a “potential discrepancy” of some 8,000 votes in the election, with some counties reporting more votes than registered voters who cast ballots and others reporting more registered voters who cast ballots than votes counted. Election officials and experts in Arizona also caution that the research is flawed because it doesn’t account for fluctuations in county voter registration figures between Election Day and when the data was obtained, which they said is a more likely reason for any discrepancies.



The Hill <[link removed]>: Special counsel subpoenas Arizona secretary of state office in Jan. 6 probe



The Arizona Secretary of State’s office has been subpoenaed by special counsel Jack Smith as part of his investigation into the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, a spokesperson confirmed to The Hill. The secretary of state’s office received two subpoenas, one for the previous administration and another for the current one, the spokesperson said. The subpoenas sought information related to lawsuits brought by the Trump campaign and the chair of the Arizona Republican Party about alleged errors in the state’s 2020 election results. President Biden won Arizona that year, flipping a longtime Republican stronghold. <[link removed]>



GERRYMANDERING



The Harvard Gazette <[link removed]>: Biggest problem with gerrymandering



Harvard researchers say gerrymandering is still a problem, but for perhaps less-obvious reasons. They found the tactic used by parties to gain a numerical advantage in Congress was widespread during the 2020 redistricting cycle, yet its effect on the partisan makeup of the U.S. House of Representatives was small. Their in-depth analysis, published last month in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, found the country’s patchwork of congressional districts netted Republicans all of two House seats. Still, the researchers hold that gerrymandering harms our democracy.



AP <[link removed]>: Supreme Court directs Ohio’s top court to take another look at redistricting lawsuit



The Ohio Supreme Court will take yet another look at the legality of the state’s congressional districts after the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday set aside a ruling striking down the districts and ordered further consideration of the case. The nation’s high court directed Ohio’s top court to reassess the case in light of its ruling Tuesday in a North Carolina redistricting case. Justices in that instance rejected an expansive version of the so-called independent state legislature theory, which holds that legislatures have absolute power in setting the rules of federal elections and cannot be overruled by state courts.







Actions you can take right now to help make a difference!



WATCH <[link removed]>our latest Campfire with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger.



SHOP <[link removed]> our Make America Reasonable Again ball cap!



BRING a friend to one of our events! Your unique recruiter link: [link removed]



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.



- Election Reform <[link removed]>

- Political Research <[link removed]>

- Finding Solutions <[link removed]>

- Communications <[link removed]>

- Mending Divisions <[link removed]>

- Inspiring Speakers Series <[link removed]>



<[link removed]>Get Involved <[link removed]>



<[link removed]>Support the Mission <[link removed]>



<[link removed]>Wear the Cause <[link removed]>







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