Alana Persson · [email protected]

November 10, 2022 at 12:30 PM

History was made this midterm

Post-election analysis Hi Friend,  On Tuesday, tens of millions of Americans cast their ballots to determine the outcome of the 2022 election. As reformers, we recognize there is a lot on the line this midterm — the integrity of our democracy is at stake, and a historic number of ballot initiatives …

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  Alana Persson · [email protected]

November 3, 2022 at 5:01 PM

5 Easy Ways to Make a Difference This Election!

It takes a nation to uphold democracy Hi Friend,  The midterm elections are less than a week away and, as you well know, there’s a lot on the line this November.   Powerful reforms to engage more voters and improve representation are on the ballot, but they’ll only be pushed over the finish line co…

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  Alana Persson · [email protected]

October 27, 2022 at 12:01 PM

Hug a poll worker this election season

Election interest is “eye-popping” Hi Friend,  The November election is still 12 days away, yet reporters are already calling this midterm election “eye-popping” with 70% of all registered voters expressing high interest in voting, according to a new NBC News poll. This is the highest percentage eve…

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  Alana Persson · [email protected]

October 20, 2022 at 12:00 PM

Early voting starts this week 🗳

It's time to cast your ballotHi Friend,  The LA Times hit the nail on the head in its recent article, “American politics is stuck in a rut. Why does nothing change?” The answer to this is complex, so we’ll underscore the most salient points:  The calcification of our dysfunctional politics is growin…

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  Alana Persson · [email protected]

October 13, 2022 at 9:00 PM

It’s the voters’ turn this midterm

More voice and better choices are on the ballot in tons of jurisdictions Hi Friend,  Yesterday, three political advertisements for candidates flashed back-to-back across my television screen — something Americans across the country are noticing, and likely you are, too.  It begs an important and rec…

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  Alana Persson · [email protected]

October 6, 2022 at 10:03 PM

We’re coming down to the wire.

It’s time to put country over party. Hi Friend,  The aftermath of Hurricane Ian, which struck Florida last week, has left much destruction. Lives were tragically lost, homes were destroyed, and entire bridges were washed out to sea. However, even amidst the loss and the sadness, we have witnessed th…

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  Alana Persson · [email protected]

September 29, 2022 at 4:03 PM

Altering the current orbit of our election system is possible.

It’s time to hit our “political asteriod” Hi Friend,  What does NASA’s recent DART Mission and the election reform movement have in common? They both have the momentum to change the trajectory of powerful entities. And, if they meet their targets correctly, they could alter the course of history.   …

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  Alana Persson · [email protected]

September 22, 2022 at 7:23 PM

Political courage is imperative now more than ever.

Three steps in the right direction. Hi Friend,  Five years before becoming president, then-Senator John F. Kennedy published the book Profiles in Courage. In it, he wrote, “Today the challenge of political courage looms larger than ever before.”  Sixty-six years later, this sentiment still rings tru…

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  Alana Persson · [email protected]

September 15, 2022 at 6:00 PM

The bitter end.

Where do we go from here? Hi Friend,  It’s been a big week. The rundown? Well, primary season has officially come to a close. Alaska’s first Indigenous woman was sworn into Congress. We reflected, honored, and mourned the lives of those lost twenty-one years ago on the anniversary of 9/11. And today…

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  Alana Persson · [email protected]

September 8, 2022 at 11:01 PM

Voters have been barred from choice — again.

Only three primaries left to go. Hi Friend,  There is only one week remaining in this primary season, with 94 percent of elections completed as of Wednesday. While the official outcomes from this election cycle remain up in the air, the numbers so far have already made one thing abundantly clear — t…

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  Alana Persson · [email protected]

September 2, 2022 at 12:01 PM

Alaska’s election lights the path forward for better primaries

The winners are the voters. Hi Friend,  They call Alaska “The Last Frontier.” Now, it’s at the forefront of the American story: government “of, by, and for” the people — thanks to a new election model that will fully deliver it.  Though outcomes of elections are typically judged by who wins and lose…

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  Alana Persson · [email protected]

August 25, 2022 at 7:07 PM

A Week of Closed Primaries

FL and NY have a Primary Problem, and other things to considerHi Friend,  We talk a lot about how partisan primaries disenfranchise voters, distort representation, and fuel political division. But you might be asking — “What does this really look like?” Well, as we wait for Alaska to count every vot…

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  Alana Persson · [email protected]

August 18, 2022 at 8:00 PM

A tale of two primaries.

Alaska's moment finally happened. Here's what we know so far.Hi Friend,  The game-changing moment for election reform, the day that you’d been hearing us talk about for months, finally arrived on Tuesday. Voters had the opportunity to participate in Alaska's new nonpartisan primary system, which inc…

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  Alana Persson · [email protected]

August 11, 2022 at 8:34 PM

It’s Alaska’s moment on Tuesday.

The state is ready for this.Hi Friend,  There’s a buzz in the air as Alaska prepares for a monumental day this upcoming Tuesday. It’s not just momentous for Alaskans, though — it’s a day that all Americans should be excited about. Why? Because it marks the first and LARGEST coordinated effort to sol…

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  Chris Deaton · [email protected]

July 14, 2022 at 9:01 PM

Republicans like ranked choice voting

And so should you!Hi Friend,  A certain former Republican office-holder sided with Nevada Democrats in criticizing ranked choice voting on Saturday, during a campaign rally in Anchorage, Alaska.  That sentence alone is a reminder that Alaska's nonpartisan primary + ranked choice voting system — a si…

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  Chris Deaton · [email protected]

June 17, 2022 at 1:00 PM

The Summer Wins Are Flowin’ in

A day late, but who's counting?Hi Friend,  By this time next week, we’ll have officially welcomed the start of summer (granting that much of the country has been feeling it unofficially already).  Now, they say that spring, not summer, is the season of hope and renewal. But we’re feeling awfully opt…

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  Chris Deaton · [email protected]

June 9, 2022 at 9:01 PM

Wait — an election on a Saturday?

Three things to think about this weekHi Friend,  You’ve heard the phrase “Saturday morning cartoons,” and there’s a publication called the Saturday Evening Post. But this is a new one, even for us: a Saturday night primary election.  This is a date that’s been circled on our calendar for many months…

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  Chris Deaton · [email protected]

June 3, 2022 at 12:00 AM

What’s blue and red and agrees all over?

These are three things to think about this weekHi Friend,  There are a couple of primary elections to note on the horizon. Californians, residents of the most populous U.S. state, head to the polls next Tuesday, June 6. Alaskans, residents of the largest state by land mass, must postmark their ballo…

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  Brett Maney · [email protected]

May 26, 2022 at 9:00 PM

Without words

These are three things to think about — later.Hi Friend,  It’s been an unspeakably tragic few weeks in America. The shooting deaths of 19 children and two adults this week in Texas have compounded national heartache from the shooting deaths of 10 shoppers in Buffalo. The tragedy is inescapable.  Wha…

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  Brett Maney · [email protected]

May 19, 2022 at 8:02 PM

Plurality is becoming a major problem

It was a doozy of a Primary Tuesday this week, with primaries taking place across five states — most notably Pennsylvania and North Carolina.Hi Friend,  It was a doozy of a Primary Tuesday this week, with primaries taking place across five states — most notably Pennsylvania and North Carolina. In No…

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  Brett Maney · [email protected]

May 12, 2022 at 9:01 PM

Political ads are bad, but pointless political ads are worse

One of the most dangerous attacks on our political system has been happening insidiously, over the course of the last two years.Hi Friend,  In 2020, some 25 million Americans effectively elected 361 members of Congress.  That may seem like a lot — until you remember that 25 million is just 10% of th…

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  Brett Maney · [email protected]

May 5, 2022 at 12:04 PM

Does political reform matter at a time like this?

iykyk     Hi Friend,   Let’s start this week from a vulnerable place: Why is electoral reform important?    Why does the work that we do matter so much — especially when Americans are concerned about so many other things in the world, such as “kit…

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  Brett Maney · [email protected]

April 28, 2022 at 6:02 PM

Utah Democrats have done the unthinkable

Have the Utah Democrats put voters first?     Hi Friend,   Free speech seems to be the subject on everyone’s minds — at least everyone who pays attention to Twitter. As the social media app — tragically, one of the “public squares” of modern polit…

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  Brett Maney · [email protected]

April 21, 2022 at 9:16 PM

Let’s save politics from getting stupider

So you agree? Politics is getting stupider?     Hi Friend,   Time is moving quickly. We’re just two weeks from the start of May primary elections, when voters will go to the ballot and cast votes that are — in most cases — significantly more impor…

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  Brett Maney · [email protected]

April 15, 2022 at 3:05 PM

A party shouldn’t stand between you and your vote

oooooh boy, it's a Four Things Friday (and I'm a delight at parties)     Hi Friend,   I saw some old friends this weekend, and we started talking about my work on democracy reform. After all this time, they asked me about what keeps me engaged in …

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  Brett Maney · [email protected]

April 7, 2022 at 7:11 PM

48 candidates

That's almost one for every state     Hi Friend,   Forty eight.   That’s the number of declared candidates that are running for Alaska’s open house seat. It’s a TON of candidates. In an ordinary election, we’d be concerned that the winner of the e…

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  Brett Maney · [email protected]

March 31, 2022 at 9:22 PM

Elections are for the elected?

(They should be for the electorate)     Hi Friend,   In 2021, more money was spent on lobbying than ever before. $3.7 billion to be precise.    Why so much?    Between the pandemic relief bill and the infrastructure deal, Congress had a lot of mon…

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  Brett Maney · [email protected]

March 24, 2022 at 4:07 PM

Alaska’s election just got shaken up in a big way

we’re shook     Hi Friend,   The death of Alaska Representative Don Young this week has shaken up the election landscape in a big way. Young, the longest serving member of the House of Representatives — ever — was a stalwart statesman and advocate…

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  Brett Maney · [email protected]

March 17, 2022 at 12:00 PM

It all ties together

    Hi Friend,   One of the odder quirks of our political system is how it’s warped the collective minds of Americans. In theory, in our democracy, the will of the voters is supposed to matter most. We are, after all, a country with a government …

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  Brett Maney · [email protected]

March 10, 2022 at 10:22 PM

An important reminder from Ukraine and a new way to visualize the primary problem

Do you have any idea just how small 0.5% is     Hi Friend,   As the global community grapples with how to respond to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, gone are the set partisan talking points that traditionally guide our politicians. The standard camp…

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  Brett Maney · [email protected]

March 3, 2022 at 8:00 PM

How gerrymandering and the primary problem are related, why secretary of state races matter, and which state could be the newest to adopt nonpartisan primaries

We got sharing links back!     Hi Friend,   Texas was the first state to hold their primary elections on Tuesday. For the parties, the primary was a bit of a bellwether for what the rest of the year might look like, and which wing of their respect…

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  Brett Maney · [email protected]

February 24, 2022 at 11:02 PM

Rethink your donation

Absolute power corrupts absolutely     Hi Friend,   There’s a quote from a British politician: absolute power corrupts absolutely. While this politician had been speaking about the absolute power of monarchies, it applies in the US, where our brok…

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  Brett Maney · [email protected]

February 17, 2022 at 10:07 PM

What the Olympics can teach us about politics

And you'll never guess -- more about Alaska     Hi Friend,   If you’re like me, you’ve been glued to the news surrounding the Olympic games about the Russian figure skater who tested positive for banned substances. Her situation in the games has h…

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  Brett Maney · [email protected]

February 10, 2022 at 10:49 PM

Does trust in our elections matter?

I'll give you one guess     Hi Friend,   The world is in a precarious place right now. Russia is pushing Europe dangerously close to war, China is pushing propaganda as it attempts to distract from their human rights abuses, and here in the US, th…

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  Unite America · [email protected]

January 31, 2022 at 10:56 PM

PANEL: Authoritarianism on the rise

Listen to Nick Troiano and our friends at Protect Democracy and R Street on a panel about the rise of authoritarianism Friend,    A little over a year removed from the January 6th attacks, one thing is clear: authoritarianism is on the rise in the…

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  Brett Maney · [email protected]

January 13, 2022 at 5:09 PM

It’s not whether you win or lose

PLUS we're hiring! Check out our job postings     Hi Friend,   When I was growing up, there was a familiar adage my parents used when my sisters and I played sports: It’s not whether you win or lose, it’s how you play the game.    Indeed, the same…

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  Brett Maney · [email protected]

January 6, 2022 at 7:35 PM

WATCH THE NEW VIDEO: An Open Letter to the America that Will Be

One year ago, our democracy saw one of its darkest days. Now, we look forward. Dear Friend,    One year ago today, on January 6th, violent rioters stormed the US Capitol. The attack was one of the lowest points in our nation’s history. Never befor…

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  Brett Maney · [email protected]

December 16, 2021 at 11:00 PM

A big announcement!

Three Things Thursday from Unite America     Hi Friend,   Did you miss me?    We took a quick break last week so that the entire Unite America team could come together for a few days of reflection on 2021 and to plan as we look ahead towards a ver…

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  Brett Maney · [email protected]

December 2, 2021 at 11:26 PM

What politicizing our elections gets us

Plus, how you can hear from Charlie Wheelan     Hi Friend,   Here at the global headquarters of Unite America in Denver, Colorado, we’re seeing a month of record highs, as our usually chilly fall has transformed into one of 60 and 70 degree weathe…

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  Brett Maney · [email protected]

November 19, 2021 at 8:31 PM

Big lie? How about big pie

Please "pardon" us ahead of a Thanksgiving week off at Unite America.     Hi Friend,   Goooooood afternoon friends.    This week, I’m grateful for bipartisan infrastructure bills and independent redistricting commissions. I’m grateful for reformer…

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  Brett Maney · [email protected]

November 11, 2021 at 9:02 PM

How to reduce the cost of bipartisanship

Here's a hint: solve the primary problem     Hi Friend,   This time next year, Americans will have just elected a new Congress. No one can say for certain what the next congress will look like, or how the politics of the next year will shape the 2…

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  Brett Maney · [email protected]

November 5, 2021 at 12:00 AM

Ranked choice voting's big night

No matter how you feel about the results in Virginia, here's what you should remember     Hi Friend,   Not sure about you, but we’re riding a post-election high.    Tuesday was a massive night for ranked choice voting, and for the incredibly hard …

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  Brett Maney · [email protected]

October 28, 2021 at 3:33 PM

Things that are scarier than monsters

I love theme newsletters 🎃     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 syst…

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  Brett Maney · [email protected]

October 21, 2021 at 7:06 PM

Does bipartisanship even matter?

Why November is going to be a big month for ranked choice voting     Hi Friend,   Across the country, legislators are messing with elections. In some cases, it’s been for the better; in Kentucky, they’ve expanded early voting, while Vermont has ad…

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  Brett Maney · [email protected]

October 14, 2021 at 9:57 PM

Making representatives representative

And other things you should read this week     Hi Friend,   It’s hard to believe that it’s already mid-October. We’re just weeks away from a slew of elections happening across the country, from mayoral races, to state and local initiatives, to a m…

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  Brett Maney · [email protected]

October 7, 2021 at 8:09 PM

How one person can determine the election

    Hi Friend,   It is a PACKED week at Unite America — and for all of America, it seems. In DC, Congress is furiously debating key budget bills, while state houses grapple with new and pending legislative redistricting maps. Here at Unite Americ…

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  Brett Maney · [email protected]

September 30, 2021 at 6:25 PM

Nick joins the Yang Gang

PLUS we're hiring! Check out our job postings     Hi Friend,   Are you registered to vote? Are you sure?   Tuesday was National Voter Registration Day, but that doesn’t mean it’s the only day you can register to vote (or check your registration!) …

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  Brett Maney · [email protected]

September 23, 2021 at 4:16 PM

what to do about a lie this big

Ohio has a lot going on this week.     Hi Friend,   Over the last year, our election systems have taken a beating. What used to be a niche (albeit high profile) conspiracy theory — the Big Lie — has taken a very real grasp on Americans’ faith in o…

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  Brett Maney · [email protected]

September 16, 2021 at 7:19 PM

The Constitution

Happy 234th birthday     Hi Friend,   Tomorrow marks the 234th anniversary of the signing of the US Constitution — making it the oldest living constitution in human history.    While the state of the American experiment is currently tenuous, the C…

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  Brett Maney · [email protected]

September 10, 2021 at 7:02 PM

What's about to happen in California

(and obviously how fixing primaries can fix politics)     Dear Friend,   After a restful Labor Day weekend, we’re easing back into the work week with a Four Things Friday.    Of course, for Congress, things are just heating up. Over the course of …

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