John --

Happy International Day of Democracy... to those who celebrate! ;)

This week has been a mad dash for democracy -- it's flown by. If you missed it, Country First has been leading Dash for Democracy, a weeklong celebration of American Democracy... and we have one more event to go:

>> RSVP: Banding Together for Democracy: Battle of the Bands! on Saturday, 9/16 at 5pm ET

We have six great bands who will be performing for us, and then we'll get to vote for the winner using Rank-Choice Voting! It will be fun, so we hope you can join.

Beyond celebrating American democracy, this week has been all about education, engagement, and encouragement. Over 130,000 people engaged with Dash for Democracy through one of our daily Democracy Dialogues webinars; the virtual 5k (send us photos of you with your race bib!); in-person social gatherings; our peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns; and our social media. We couldn't ask for a better inaugural celebration!

It's still not too late to create your own fundraising page to give others in your network the opportunity to give toward saving democracy and an organization you care about: Country First. You do not have to give a dime to create a fundraising page, so please consider doing that here, and then post the link on social media or send it to friends and family.

We hope you've had a chance to engage with our Dash for Democracy programming, and if you haven't, remember the Battle of the Bands is Saturday night!

Have a great weekend, and thanks for dashing with us this week! 

Together,

Country First Team

PS: Check out the Movement Memo below, created for you by Country First volunteers!

See something of interest? All are welcome! Click on the event to register.

COMING UP @ COUNTRY FIRST

- September 16 at 5pm ET: Banding Together for Democracy: Battle of the Bands

- September 28 at 8pm ET: Country First Book Club

Each week, Country First highlights a key volunteer who has demonstrated placing Country over Party. If you would like to submit someone who has made a positive impact on your experience with Country First, please email [email protected]. 

MEET BRADY SCHULER

Where are you from and how long have you been a volunteer for Country First?

Hello, my name is Brady Schuler. I live in a small community of 5,000 people that is known for their Christmas decorations and chicken. Frankenmuth, Michigan (also known as "Little Bavaria") is located in the Thumb of Michigan's mitten. I have been a volunteer pretty much from the beginning. I received a phone call from Sophia, who at that time was working for Adam in Washington. I remember Sophia asking me, "Are you always this excited?" I told her not really, but this Country First movement has got my energy flow moving into overdrive.  

What has been your focus at Country First?

My focus from the beginning has been to spread the message of Country First any way possible. I've traveled to colleges to present the "Break Free" initiatives to future educators, and one day I would like to see Country First HQ's all over the United States in strategic locations. Of course, Frankenmuth would be one of the greatest locations for a Country First headquarters.

What was your motivation for joining?

My motivation for getting involved was January 6th. This event was a signal to me and an indicator of big trouble ahead.  I was physically sickened by what I saw on that day.  Eugene Goodman immediately became my 21st century hero. Mr. Goodman should be in every American history book as the man who saved Congress. I am a fan of Eugene. 

What are your hopes for America in the coming years and generations?

My hope? This crisis passes with minimal damage to our democratic principles. 

Do you think we can right the ship?

Yes, we can right the ship. We can and we will! However, we must be willing to listen to people with good ideas. We do not need to reinvent the wheel. We have programs and systems in place that can benefit all; let us use the tools at our disposal. Two strong political parties is the goal.  We all live in the middle 80%. Let's get back to the middle 80% again. We can leave the 10 percenters on the ends to argue.

Thank you, Brady, for all of your hard work and dedication to promoting and preserving democracy! 

RANKED CHOICE VOTING

ABC 5: Could rank-choice voting be coming to Oklahoma?

A Piedmont lawmaker said she wants to study to see if making the change to rank-choice voting could help or hurt the state's election system. State Rep. Denise Crosswhite Hader spoke to KOCO 5 ahead of an interim study set for Tuesday morning. "This was one that I have just seen several places come up, some discussion on it. I had heard there was an organization in Oklahoma interested in it, and so I’m curious what is out there, what might come," Crosswhite Hader said.

Missouri Independent: Mail-in ballots, ranked-choice voting part of Missouri Democratic plan for presidential primary

Democrats in Missouri, like their counterparts nationally, will use 2024 to test a new system for determining the party’s presidential preference now that the public primary for all parties has been abolished. Instead of reverting to a caucus-only system, the process used in most elections prior to 2000, the Missouri Democratic Party is seeking comment on a plan that will use mail-in ballots and four hours of in-person voting on a Saturday – March 23 – to gauge party sentiment.

GERRYMANDERING

Reuters: Alabama asks US Supreme Court to halt ruling blocking Republican-drawn voting map

A Florida redistricting plan pushed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis violates the state constitution and is prohibited from being used for any future U.S. congressional elections since it diminishes the ability of Black voters in north Florida to pick a representative of their choice, a state judge ruled Saturday.

STATE OF DEMOCRACY

PBS: 13 presidential libraries from Hoover to Obama warn of fragile state of U.S. democracy

Concern for U.S. democracy amid deep national polarization has prompted the entities supporting 13 presidential libraries dating back to Herbert Hoover to call for a recommitment to the country’s bedrock principles, including the rule of law and respecting a diversity of beliefs.

The Atlantic: American Democracy Perseveres—For Now

Antibodies against authoritarianism are still working, but the U.S. system remains under immense strain. Democracy is under attack around the world; in the United States, the summer brought good news and bad news. The institutions of democracy are still functioning, but not for long if enough Americans continue to support authoritarianism.