Dear John,

It’s been a busy month for FairVote, our democracy, and the case for our reforms – including worsening polarization leading to the second credit downgrade in our nation’s history, and ongoing redistricting sagas in Alabama and Wisconsin that point to the need for long-term reform through the Fair Representation Act. It’s no surprise that election reform continues to sweep the nation – a Ballotpedia article published yesterday finds that the number of pro-ranked choice voting bills introduced in state legislatures more than doubled from 2022 to 2023.

An update from Rob

Before we dive into the great work our team is doing, I wanted to share a personal update: On November 1, I will step down as President and CEO of FairVote and take on a new full-time Senior Advisor role within the organization.

I encourage you to read my full note on the FairVote website, as well as that of Board member Purnima Chawla, our outgoing Board Chair.

As I mention in my note, the Board and I have been discussing succession planning for years, and decided this is exactly the right time to act – our reform movement is strong, our staff is driving excellent work, we’re early in our strategic planning process for the rest of the decade, and I’m eager to leverage my experience toward what I do best at this time of great need and opportunity for reform. I’m profoundly optimistic about what we can achieve together to seek a more perfect union. Nationally, this coming decade holds the promise of sweeping change through advocacy for ranked choice voting and progress toward advancing the Fair Representation Act for Congressional elections.

Lan Nguyen, our Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer (and today’s email co-signer!) will continue her strong work as Acting CEO, while the Board initiates a thorough and thoughtful search process for a permanent leader. Danielle Allen – a current Board member, Harvard political philosopher and leading reform voice – has accepted a two-year term as our new Board Chair, and will lead the search process in that role. More information on the transition and search is available on our website.

And before we get back to regular email programming, I want to take a moment to thank all of you for your support over the years – we have achieved so much together, with so much more to come. I look forward to continuing our work together in my new role!

The case for reform grows stronger

Last week, Fitch Ratings downgraded America’s long-term credit for the second time in history (and the first time in Fitch’s history), citing “a steady deterioration in standards of governance over the last 20 years.” Consider this year’s debt-ceiling standoff, where the government came within hours of economic catastrophe.

Meanwhile, two years after the redistricting cycle began, Alabama is brazenly defying a Supreme Court order to give Black residents fair representation in its congressional map, while Wisconsin is facing a new lawsuit over its state legislative maps.

It’s no wonder only 10% of Americans say democracy is working very or extremely well, according to the latest Associated Press-NORC Center poll.

As these stories unfold, FairVote is making the case for structural reforms like ranked choice voting and the Fair Representation Act that can incentivize politicians to work for the good of all of us.

“Ranked choice voting would encourage members of Congress to engage with all citizens, because they’d need more than just a minority of their base to keep their job. And while ranked choice voting would be an important step toward decreasing polarization, the Fair Representation Act has the potential to transform our politics – and incentivize the House to solve problems that most voters want solved.” – Yates Wilburn, FairVote State Communications Associate

And as FairVote’s Ryan Suto wrote in an analysis of Alabama’s new congressional map:

“This abuse of legal processes to undermine constitutional rights is not sustainable in a healthy democracy. Yet fundamental flaws in our electoral system… reward such behavior. These fundamental flaws require fundamental solutions: The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the Fair Representation Act, both due for re-introduction later this year, would prevent states from so easily denying a fair voice to Black communities or other marginalized groups.”

More updates: Supreme Court Webinar & PutRCVOnIt

Last week, we held an all-star webinar about The Supreme Court and Election Reform, featuring a diverse panel of legal experts. FairVote Senior Fellow Terrance Carroll and Senior Legal Fellow G. Michael Parsons, Harvard Professor Guy-Uriel Charles, University of Baltimore Professor Gilda Daniels, and Chris Shenton of the Southern Coalition for Social Justice discussed the latest developments in election cases and where we go from here. The full recording is linked above, and available on our YouTube channel.

We also launched a new series of analyses called “PutRCVOnIt,” where we discuss how ranked choice voting works in conjunction with, and improves, other election reforms. Keep an eye out for posts on mail-in voting, redistricting reform, fusion voting, and more!

Here’s an excerpt from the first post in the series from FairVote’s Rachel Hutchinson, about how ranked choice voting improves nonpartisan primaries:

“Nonpartisan primaries are stronger when ranked choice voting is used in the primary and/or general election. RCV gives voters a wider range of choices, and allows them to vote honestly. RCV ensures that nominees and winners represent the consensus of the electorate, and prevents vote-splitting that can otherwise shut a major party out of the general election.”

Thank you for your continued support for FairVote and election reform. With your help, we will close this summer out strong!

Sincerely,
Rob Richie and Lan Nguyen