The Final Four might not have happened, but here’s the Final Five

Everyone knows: if you can’t have a basketball tournament, election reform is the next best thing. Luckily, a bipartisan group of leaders in Wisconsin are looking to bring you exactly that with Final Five Voting, a combination of election reforms designed to create a more representative election.

With Final Five Voting, citizens vote in a nonpartisan primary election, and the top five finishers go into the general election. In the general election, voters rank their candidates using ranked choice voting. The result: a more functional and cooperative Congress. 

“This new approach will change the nature of our elections, and in turn, create a new era of collaboration and results in Congress,” argues authors state senator Dale Kooyeng (R) and assemblyman Daniel Riemer (D). “Final-Five Voting does not require politicians or voters to abandon their ideological views — or their parties (we’ll proudly remain members of ours) — but it does encourage reaching across the aisle to solve big problems in a sustainable, consensus-building, bipartisan fashion.”

110 leaders want DC to shape up

If the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that our system isn’t necessarily operating on all cylinders. While some may blame a particular political party, 110 bipartisan leaders, past and present, want you to blame something much larger: the system itself. 

The truth is, Congress is outdated. The systems, procedures, and protocols represent a bygone era. To govern a 21st century America, America needs a 21st century congress. Without it, the country will squander opportunity while allowing challenges to mount. Congress has become too cumbersome, and as a result, is being cast aside as quick action is rewarded. 

A quote to think about: “If this pandemic has taught us anything about our political system, it’s that a robust and resilient Congress — one that operates as the first branch of government — is essential to the safety and security of our republic and all its citizens." 

We find More in Common during coronavirus

Deputy Director for Reform & Partnerships Tyler Fisher fired up the ol’ blog this week to synthesize a new study by More in Common that analyzes voter sentiment during coronavirus. The findings: Americans are feeling more unified than they were two years ago. 

“While fear of the pandemic is widespread, there remains a perception of increasing unity across the electorate,” Tyler writes. “Amongst a number of key indicators, compared to two years ago, many more Americans feel unified, that they can count on one another, and that we’re all in this together.”