Dear John,

Congressman Dean Phillips makes RCV a top priority

Ranked Choice Voting continues to gain national media attention and momentum. Minnesota’s very own Congressman Dean Phillips is leading the conversation by pushing the Democratic Party to elect House leadership in 2022 by Ranked Choice Voting. In an interview with Yahoo News, Rep. Phillips explained that Ranked Choice Voting “provides a political incentive to broaden your base and go beyond that core voter,. . .and most importantly, it doesn't waste anybody's vote.” Phillips added that he’s considering making RCV his “core political mission, whether inside of Congress or outside.” We commend Rep. Phillips for making RCV a national priority and look forward to working with him to make RCV the way we vote in Minnesota and nationwide! Please take a minute to thank Rep. Phillips on Twitter or by email for his leadership on this critical reform.

Historic RCV election in NYC Begins in Just Weeks

The June 22 city-wide primary election in New York City continues to bring national media attention to RCV, and a recent article by New York Congressman Jamaal Bowman and NYC Public Advocate Jumaane Williams in the Nation highlights its many benefits, particularly for candidates and voters of color: They noted what we have shown here in Minnesota, that “Ranked choice voting helps Black, Latino and Asian communities build power. It encourages coalition building and cross-community campaigning.”

Early voting begins June 12 for the highly competitive mayoral race, which features former presidential candidate Andrew Yang, former Department of Sanitation Commissioner Kathryn Garcia, Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams and City Comptroller Scott Stringer, among other candidates, as well as dozens of city council seats and other offices. These are high-stakes elections, and our RCV allies on the ground are doing everything they can to ensure voters are prepared to rank their ballots. If you have friends in NYC, be sure to remind them to rank their ballots! And stay up to date on the first time use of RCV in our nation’s largest city at https://rankthevotenyc.org/.

At the Legislature: We Stopped the Ban and RCV for MN Continues to Gain Momentum

Unfortunately, Minnesota has not been immune to the antidemocratic plague sweeping the nation. The Senate majority led by a small but powerful handful of senators, including Senate Elections Committee Chair Mary Kiffmeyer, reintroduced an RCV ban bill, part of a broader effort by the Senate majority to make voting less accessible and take our democracy backward. The bill received a committee hearing and was incorporated into the Senate Finance Omnibus bill, which, despite valiant efforts by our Senate champions to remove the ban, passed on the Senate floor. However, House members on the State Government Conference Committee opposed the RCV ban and ensured that it did not advance out of committee.

YOUR support in opposing this ban was critical, and we appreciate all of you who were able to contact the committee and your legislators. We will note that when the Senate heard the RCV ban in the Senate Elections Committee this spring, 50 letters of testimony were submitted against the bill, while no letters of testimony were submitted in support. RCV advocates, including FairVote MN board member Kim Nelson, Executive Director Jeanne Massey, and former UTAH GOP chair Stan Lockhart gave powerful testimony against the RCV ban. Despite the overwhelming testimony in favor of RCV, the measure advanced to the Senate floor and was passed, but not before our Senate advocates took to the podium with an amendment to remove the ban and testify in favor of RCV. The amendment speeches, led by chief author Kent Eken, and included Senators Melisa Franzen, Mary Kunesh, Greg Clausen, Jim Carlson, Aric Putnam, and John Marty, made abundantly clear the need for RCV in MN. It was a pivotal moment for the Minnesotan legislature to discuss the future of democracy in Minnesota.

Notwithstanding this testimony and the strong grassroots opposition of voters, the Senate majority remains staunchly opposed to RCV, and we can expect them to bring the ban bill back in 2022. But rest assured and thanks to you, we will fight it and defeat it, just like we did this year.

Despite headwinds in the Senate, we made historic progress during the 2021 regular session. The RCV for Minnesota bill (HF 89 and SF 218), along with two clone bills in both chambers, secured 47 authors in the House and 15 in the senate, making it the bill with the most - and the most broad and diverse support - of any legislation this session. The RCV bill received an informational hearing in the House and, as a non-budgetary policy bill, was laid over for a vote and movement next session.

Momentum to get the bill over the finish line in the House next year continues to grow, and we are poised to pass the bill in the House next session.

You can help us do that by contacting your legislator and thanking them as an author – or urging them to sign on in support. We will be hosting virtual briefings on the legislative strategy and next steps, so stay tuned and look for upcoming dates in your inbox.

THANK YOU for helping us build support for RCV all session long. You demonstrated that voters like RCV and want to see it expanded statewide, and the legislature heard your voice loud and clear - with over 35,000 emails sent to legislators just this session!

Funding Match to Ensure Successful RCV Elections this November

In addition to building support for the RCV bill at the legislature, we will turn this summer to our work educating voters, cities and candidates to ensure successful local elections in the five Minnesota cities using RCV this fall. We have never had five simultaneous RCV elections – representing 16% of Minnesota voters – and the educational work, especially in the new cities using RCV, Bloomington and Minnetonka, will be critical. You can help us with voter education and outreach as well as building support for RCV statewide by donating to FairVote Minnesota today!

A generous supporter is matching every donation now through June 30th - dollar for dollar - up to $20,000 in order to fund these mission critical initiatives. Please consider chipping in whatever amount you can and double your impact.

For a More Just, Inclusive Democracy

Our democracy promises equal justice for all. A year ago this week our failure to uphold that promise was once again laid bare by the death of George Floyd, galvanizing the movement for reform. We remain committed to the work of creating a racially just democracy where all citizens are fully represented and where the cries for justice are heard and acted upon. While it’s a long road and there is a lot of work to do, we know that systemic change at the ballot box will enable and hasten many of the reforms we so desperately need, and we will continue to highlight the power of RCV to elect governing bodies responsive to the demands of the majority of Americans.

Upcoming Event: Women Leading Democracy Forward and how RCV helps elect more women in elected office

At a time when women are not yet equally represented in elected office, a growing body of data shows that RCV has power to bring about better outcomes for women as well as people of color. Please SAVE THE DATE for Tuesday, June 15 at 12:00 PM CT for a virtual discussion led by Erin Vilardi, Founder and CEO of Vote Run Lead, on Why Ranked Choice Voting is Good for Women. Vilardi will give the inside scoop on New York City’s RCV elections, the most up-to-date RCV research and how the reform has the potential to unleash the political power of Minnesota women as voters, candidates, and leaders to create and sustain an equitable democracy. She will be joined by special guests Senator Mary Kunesh, State Representatives Esther Agbaje and Athena Hollins, and St. Paul City Council Member Nelsie Yang who are leading on the reform in Minnesota.

As we reach the end of the REGULAR legislative session, we want to give a heartfelt thanks to our legislative champions and to all of you, our supporters, for helping us continue the momentum for this critical reform, even during a pandemic and even when some are moving against democracy itself. You inspire us to work even harder for a future we know can and will be better.

But there is nothing REGULAR about governing any longer. Once again, the legislature is gridlocked on the budget and will reconvene for a special session in mid June. If past cycles predict the outcome, there will be more special sessions. Gridlock is the new normal and makes the need for our work more urgent than ever. We will stay in touch as the unending session continues, and let you know how you can continue to help advance this critical reform going forward.

In closing as we approach Memorial Day Weekend, let us honor those who have fought for the freedoms American democracy has promised and continue to fight for a democracy that upholds the values of inclusion, equality, and representation for all.

Sincerely,

Your FairVote MN Team