Hi Friend,

You may have noticed that Tuesday was Election Day! While 2023 might be an “off year” for some because it’s not a midterm or presidential election year, there were important state and local races on the ballot across the country.

When it comes to the Voters First Movement, instant runoffs (ranked choice voting) carried the day — and has now won 27 city ballot measures in a row. Some highlights:

• Three cities in Michigan — Kalamazoo, East Lansing, and Royal Oak — voted to adopt instant runoff voting.
• Easthampton, Mass. voted to expand instant runoffs.
• An effort to repeal instant runoff voting in Minnetonka, Minn. was resoundingly rejected for the second time in three years.
• 21 cities used instant runoff voting across seven states.
• Boulder, Colo. successfully used it for the first time to elect its mayor.

What % of voters elected their state houses this year?

While instant runoffs were a bright spot for voters this week, the Primary Problem loomed large elsewhere. Three states — Mississippi, New Jersey, and Virginia — elected new state legislatures. The numbers are shocking, and not in a good way. Because of restrictive partisan primary rules and uncompetitive general elections, just 8.3% of eligible voters in those states on average elected their entire state house. Let that sink in.

On November 18, Louisiana will hold runoff elections for its state legislature. Because Louisiana abolished partisan primaries and all voters are able to participate, it’s likely that a higher percentage of Louisiana voters will cast “Meaningful Votes” this year to elect their state house. If you’re interested in learning more about the benefits of Louisiana’s election system, check out research we published last year. We’ll report back on results in the next newsletter.

Partner Spotlight: Democracy Maine

My colleague Alana Persson interviewed Anna Kellar, executive director of Democracy Maine, for our latest Partner Spotlight. Maine has been a national leader when it comes to democracy reform, perhaps most notably as the first state to use instant runoffs for federal elections. Most recently, the Maine Legislature passed semi-open primaries, which will allow independent voters to participate in the primary of their choosing next year.

As Anna says about communicating this news to independent voters, “I'm excited about going to voters and saying, ‘You can actually participate in these upcoming elections’!”

You can find all of our Partner Spotlights and other Storytelling on our website.

Types of primaries, explained

I think we all know that election reform can be a wonky topic. Every state has different rules and procedures, and it can get real complicated, real fast. That’s why we’ve launched a new series on our website called “Explainers.” The goal is to simplify the most important election reform concepts, and give supporters like you the knowledge you need to feel confident explaining it to your friends and family.

Our first Explainer is on the different types of primaries. You’ll get up to speed on which states use which primary system, the benefits and limitations of each, and more.

Before I sign off, this Saturday is Veterans Day. If you’re a veteran reading this newsletter, thank you for your service to our country and for being on the front lines of protecting America’s democracy.

Veterans have also been on the front lines of making sure that every voter has the right to vote in primary elections. About half of veterans identify as either independent or unaffiliated voters. But in 15 states, they’re not guaranteed the right to participate in primaries. On Saturday, we’ll be publishing our next Partner Spotlight on Veterans for All Voters and the work they’re doing to ensure all veterans — and all Americans — have a meaningful voice in our democracy. Head to our website and “X” account on Saturday for more information, and be sure to check out their Veterans Day Message.

Ross

P.S. — Our partner Open Primaries is hosting their next Virtual Discussion next week: Young Voters Stand Up for Open Primaries. You can sign up to attend here.

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Ross Sherman
Press Director, Unite America

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