Tomorrow is Super Tuesday, the biggest day in this year’s primary calendar. And
even in an election cycle when both major parties’ presidential nominees are
nearly effectively decided, there’s a lot to watch for. Donate Today!


Dear John,

Tomorrow is Super Tuesday, the biggest day on this year’s primary calendar. And
even in an election cycle when both major parties’ presidential nominees are
nearly effectively decided, there’s a lot to watch for – including some
locations that are making their elections even more “super” with innovations
likeranked choice voting(RCV) that deliver better outcomes for voters.

But first, we have exciting news to share this week about the Oscars, a summit
of women democracy reform leaders, and a new book on primary elections.

Read on to learn about:

* RepresentWomen’sDemocracy Solutions Summit
* Ranked choice votingat the Oscars

* What to watchon Super Tuesday

* The Primary Solution


REPRESENTWOMEN’S DEMOCRACY SOLUTIONS SUMMIT
There’s still time to register for RepresentWomen’s 3rd annual virtualDemocracy
Solutions Summit!This is the sole event featuring only women leaders discussing
how to improve our democracy and increase women’s representation.

The summit will run from tomorrow, March 5 to 7, featuring powerhouses including
Sen. Lisa Murkowski, Rep. Mary Peltola, political analyst Amy Walter, and
FairVote’s own Diane Silver and Candice Kerestan. Day one will cover RCV. Day
two will cover how we can elect our first woman president. Day three will cover
how countries around the world promote women’s representation, including by
using proportional representation.Sign up today!

RANKED CHOICE VOTING AT THE OSCARS
The Oscars are coming up this Sunday. Did you know they use ranked choice voting
for almost all nominations, and to pick a consensus Best Picture winner? The
Academy Awards is a fun annual showcase of the power of RCV – and a reminder
that this reform works for more than just public elections.

FairVote staff just recorded a new 4-minute video where we discuss how RCV works
at the Oscars – and held our own RCV vote for Best Picture! Watch it now on
YouTube.

We’re also excited to share the recording from our deeper-dive webinar on RCV
and the Oscars last week! We spoke with Tom Oyer, who spent 16 years at the
Academy in a variety of roles – most recently as senior vice president of member
relations and awards. Tom played a critical role in modernizing the Academy’s
voting processes, including expanding the use of proportional RCV. You can watch
the webinar here.

WHAT TO WATCH ON SUPER TUESDAY
Tomorrow, voters in 17 states will vote in presidential primaries or caucuses,
and at least some of those voters will cast “zombie votes.” In fact, some voters
probably already have!

Zombie votesoccur when a voter casts a ballot for a candidate who has already
dropped out – but whose name is still on the ballot. Three million Democratic
primary voters cast zombie votes in 2020, and 700,000 Republicans did so in
2016.

States and territories that use RCV for presidential primaries eliminate zombie
votes. If a voter’s first choice drops out, their vote simply counts for their
next choice! The Republican Party in the Virgin Islands held itsprimary with RCV
just last month, and Maine will use RCV in its state-run primaries for both
parties tomorrow.

We’re also closely watching Burlington, Vermont, where voters will use RCV in a
mayoral contest for the first time since they approved an RCV expansion in 2023.
Four candidates are competing in the first open-seat mayoral race since 2012.

Beyond RCV jurisdictions, FairVote is tracking several states that could see
costly, delayed runoffs if candidates don't reach a certain threshold in
tomorrow's primaries. And we’re following the U.S. Senate primary in California,
where single-choice voting is creating questionable incentives for candidates.
RCV would make all these races better.

ReadFairVote’s blogfor even more things to watch in Tuesday’s elections, and
check out the video below!

NEW BOOK: THE PRIMARY SOLUTION
Nick Troiano ran for Congress at just 25 years old, and was the most competitive
independent candidate in over two decades. He may have lost the election, but he
learned a valuable lesson: The issue isn't who is elected, but how we elect
them.

Nick’snew book,The Primary Solution, is a compelling read about flaws in
America’s primaries — one you should definitely add to your 2024 reading list.
He spoke about the book in arecent podcastwith Chuck Todd, which included a
discussion about Alaska’s use of RCV and open primaries.

The best part? All proceeds will go back to Unite America and the election
reform movement.Check it out!

Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for more news in the coming weeks about RCV
elections, 2024 ballot measures, and theFair Representation Act!

Onward,
Ashley Houghton and Deb Otis
FairVote

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