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Dear John,
The latest Republican attempt to undermine our elections could remove American voters from the process of selecting our next president.
You heard that right.
Our new video explains how a case headed to the Supreme Court could give Republican controlled state legislatures the power to overrule the will of the people and pick the next president without you.
This all hinges on a radical idea called the "independent state legislature theory." It’s at the heart of an upcoming Supreme Court case that’s been flying under the radar called Moore v. Harper.
The decision in this case could give state legislatures the power to disregard the popular vote and substitute their own slate of electors pledged to whomever they wish.
In fact, Trump used the theory as a major legal argument in his attempted coup. It didn’t work the first time, but the Supreme Court’s ruling on this case could make it easier for him (or another Republican candidate) to succeed in 2024.
If the conservative justices now sitting on the Supreme Court adopt the independent state legislature theory, it would also make it even easier for states to pull all sorts of other election trickery – like pass even worse voter suppression laws, enact even more radically gerrymandered maps, and eliminate the power of election commissions and secretaries of state to make decisions altogether.
This is a recipe for despotism. But we can fight back.
First, expand the Supreme Court to add balance to a branch of government that has been stolen by radicalized Republicans.
Second, impose term limits on Supreme Court justices, and have them rotate with judges on the U.S. courts of appeals.
Third, Congress must restore federal voting rights protections and expand access to the ballot box. We need national minimum standards for voting in our democracy.
These congressional reforms can only happen if Democrats retain control of the House in the midterm elections and add at least two more senators willing to reform or abolish the filibuster.
Your vote is important, and not just in federal elections. Make sure you also vote for state legislators who understand what’s at stake and will preserve our democracy.
Because, as this Supreme Court case shows, the future of our democracy is not guaranteed.
Thanks for watching,
Robert Reich
Inequality Media Civic Action
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