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Hi Friend,

 

It’s spooky season. Whether it’s the undead election conspiracy theories that
just won’t seem to die or the frankensteined redistricting maps terrorizing
voters, the monsters of our broken political system abound. 

 

As we like to say, there is no silver bullet reform that can cure all of the
ails of our democracy — but there might just be a wooden stake or two. (I’m
probably pushing this metaphor too far). 

 

Anyway. Here are three ~spooky~ things to think about this week.

An undead army of democracy deniers
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After an election audit that became the target of national ridicule and found
no incidents of fraud, you’d think the Arizona GOP would be eager to turn over
a new leaf. Not so in the Copper State, where the Primary Problem has forced
Republican elected officials into an ultimatum: support election conspiracies,
or lose. 

 

It’s a dynamic that is by no means unique to Arizona, but one that has been
especially palpable since Donald Trump lost the state in 2020. In the face of
defeat, rather than shift policy, the party has decided to attack the election
system — creating an untenable dynamic that threatens the very existence of the
state’s democracy.Read Politico’s full breakdown here
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How to create zombie districts
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Texas became the latest state to complete the redistricting process, with new
legislative maps that are no one’s idea of fair. Republicans in Texas (much
like Democrats in Illinois) have created a gerrymandered system designed to
serve themselves. Voters are merely pawns in this system, designed to fuel the
party, rather than using the parties to serve the voters. 


On NPR this week, listen to journalist Bret Jaspers
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break down how these gerrymandered maps create distorted outcomes for voters
that silences their voices. Gerrymandering allows parties to keep power and
leaves voters out in the cold. (Curious how your state’s doing? Check out the
latest grades from our friends at Princeton Gerrymandering Project & RepresentUs
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An antidote!
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Forgive my mixing of monster metaphors, but we’re ending on a positive note:
next week’s election will represent the most jurisdictions using ranked choice
voting. 23 cities in Utah alone will be using ranked choice voting next week,
along with 11 cities across the country. Three municipalities will be voting on
whether to adopt ranked choice voting. 

 

It has been a HUGE year for ranked choice voting, after New York City voters
used the system for the first time, marking the largest ever expansion of the
system. 2022 is looking no less exciting, with Alaska poised to become the
second state to use ranked choice voting, and the first to use it with
nonpartisan primaries.Read more here
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Happy Halloween! There’s nothing scarier than the threat of losing our
democracy!

 

Brett
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Brett Maney
Senior Communications Manager
Unite America
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