The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Jan. 30, 2025

Today’s Script

(Variations occur with audio due to editing for time. Today’s Links below the script)

American voters identifying as “independent” are the largest group of voters, at 43%, according to recent Gallup polling.  Depending on what kind of primary election your state parties have, millions of unaffiliated voters may not be able to vote.   A bill in the U.S. House called the “Let America Vote Act” would change that.

The National Conference of State Legislatures counts 10 states with closed primaries, allowing only party members to vote, and another 9 with partially-closed primaries.   Twenty-two states have primaries open to unaffiliated voters. 

The bipartisan bill introduced on January 3rd includes the right for any voter to vote in any taxpayer-funded election, and for unaffiliated voters to vote in any primary for federal office.  It would withhold election assistance funding for states not allowing unaffiliated voters to vote in state and local elections, and help to fund transitions to open primary systems. It prohibits any noncitizen from voting in federal elections, but also withholds election funding from states if noncitizens are allowed to vote in state or local elections, currently allowed in only 16 municipalities in the U.S.

Primaries are often low-turnout elections, which often bring out party activists, resulting in more extreme candidates.  Allowing independent voters could pressure candidates to campaign to the middle, and moderate more extreme positions.  Whether national party leadership will support it is an open question. 

We have more at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

Gallup – GOP Holds Edge in Party Affiliation for Third Straight Year
National Conference of State Legislatures – State Primary Election Types
American Democracy Minute – (2023)  Who Can Vote in a State Primary? Well, that Depends on Where You Live and Sometimes Whether You Belong to a Political Party

Office of U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (WA-03) – Gluesenkamp Perez, Bipartisan Colleagues Introduce Election Reform and Integrity Legislation
U.S. Congress – H.R.155 – To require States to permit unaffiliated voters to vote in primary elections for Federal office, and for other purposes
Georgia Recorder/States News – Though noncitizens can vote in few local elections, GOP goes big to make it illegal
Bipartisan Policy Center – (2024) The Effect of Open Primaries on Turnout and Representation

Groups Taking Action:

Open Primaries, Represent.Us, Unite America

Register or Check Your Voter Registration:

U.S. Election Assistance Commission – Register And Vote in Your State

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#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #OpenPrimaries #LetAmericaVoteAct #VotingRights

The post ‘Let America Vote Act’ in Congress Would Encourage States to Allow Unaffiliated Voters to Vote in Primaries appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Nov. 25, 2024

Today’s Script

(Variations occur with audio due to editing for time. Today’s Links below the script)

You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.

With a razor-thin statewide margin of 664 votes, ranked choice voting and open primaries weathered a repeal challenge in Alaska, one of the few democracy reforms to survive the 2024 Presidential election cycle.  

We reported in 2022 that over 80% of Alaska voters found ranked choice voting easy to use, and that the open primary system offered many more candidate choices.   It also implemented a “Top 4” Congressional race, where the top four vote-getters advance to the general election, again, in an effort to offer more choice to voters.  Republicans blamed the system for the election of Democratic Congresswoman Mary Peltola, who coincidentally lost her seat November 5th.

The right wing ballot measure to repeal it, marred by questionable funding and signature-gathering practices, was upheld by the Alaska Supreme Court.  The group formed to repeal it, Alaskans for Honest Elections, was fined $94,000 in June for violating the state’s dark money disclosure laws, after a nonprofit church organization contributed $90,000.  

Rural votes in Alaska take weeks to count, and it wasn’t until Nov. 20th that the race was called, 50.10% against the repeal, and 49.90% for it.  With the national GOP opposed to RCV and with such a close vote, expect future challenges.  Still don’t think your vote matters?    

We have links to more and the groups taking action at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
BallotPedia – Alaska Ballot Measure 2, Repeal Top-Four Ranked-Choice Voting Initiative (2024)

Alaska Beacon – Alaska chooses to keep ranked choice voting, Begich defeats Peltola, unofficial results show
Alaska Beacon – Alaska Supreme Court upholds ranked choice repeal initiative, now bound for November vote
BallotPedia – Ballot Measure Which Established Alaska’s Top-Four Ranked-Choice Voting and Campaign Finance Laws Initiative (2020)
American Democracy Minute – Fines Upheld for Alaska Pastor Using His Church Organization to Funnel ‘Free Speech’ Money to Political Groups Trying Repeal Ranked Choice Voting
Alaska Division of Elections – Ranked Choice Voting, Explained

Groups Taking Action:

Alaskans for Better Elections, Represent.Us, Open Primaries

Register or Check Your Voter Registration:

U.S. Election Assistance Commission – Register And Vote in Your State

Please follow us on Facebook and SHARE!  

Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

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Are you a radio station?  Find our broadcast files at Pacifica Radio Network’s Audioport and PRX

#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #Alaska #OpenPrimaries #RankedChoiceVoting

The post Alaska’s Ranked Choice Voting and ‘Top 4’ Open Primaries Survive Repeal Referendum – By a Whisker appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Sept. 27, 2024

Today’s Script

(Variations occur with audio due to editing for time. Today’s Links below the script)

You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.

Spoiler alert:  Both major political parties are trying to minimize the impact of voters choosing third party candidates in the 2024 election.  What could fix the “spoiler effect”, and allow third party candidates to still compete?   Ranked choice voting.

CBS News and the Wall Street Journal report that Green Party candidate Jill Stein accepted assistance from Republican affiliated lawyers to keep herself on the ballot in Wisconsin, and be restored to the ballot in Nevada in hopes of siphoning off votes from Kamala Harris.

Earlier this summer, Democrats sued to keep Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. off the ballot in five states.  Though he suspended his candidacy, Kennedy remains on the ballot in 33 states.  

Ranked choice voting, allows third party candidates like Stein, Kennedy, and Libertarian candidate Chase Oliver to compete, without the spoiler effect.  Voters could for example rank Stein first, Harris second and Oliver third.  In ranked choice, if a candidate has a 50% +1 majority, he or she wins outright.  If there is no 50%+1 majority, the lowest vote-getter is eliminated, voters’ second choices are used, and totals are recalculated.  The process continues until the winning candidate reaches a 50% + 1 majority.  

Only Alaska and Maine will use ranked choice for Presidential voting this year, but five states are considering RCV ballot measures in November.

We have more on how ranked choice works at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

CBS News – Republican allies boost longshot candidate Jill Stein as Democrats try to remove her from ballots in battleground states
FairVote – Jill Stein, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and spoiler season

Salon – There’s a solution to Democrats’ RFK Jr. problem: Ranked-choice voting
Politico – Democratic tactics against RFK Jr. are rattling his campaign
CBS News –  Democrats and their allies sue to keep RFK Jr. off the ballot in several states
CNN – How RFK Jr.’s presence on the Maine ballot could delay a projection in the 2024 race
Portland Press Herald/The Fulcrum – Opinion: We’re taking ranked-choice voting national for presidential elections
Ranked Vote – 2024 RCV Ballot Measures and Impact
Represent.Us – Video – How RCV works and the Spoiler Effect

Groups Taking Action:

FairVote, Represent.Us, Rank the Vote

Check Your Voter Registration:

• U.S. Election Assistance Commission – Register And Vote in Your State
• USA Vote Foundation – Registration, Eligibility, State Election Office Links
• Vote.Gov – Register to Vote in Your State
• Vote.Org – Check Your Registration to Vote
  
  

Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter and SHARE!  

Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

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Are you a radio station?  Find our broadcast files at Pacifica Radio Network’s Audioport and PRX

#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #RankedChoiceVoting #SpoilerEffect #RCV #InstantRunoff

The post Spoiler Alert: Ranked Choice Voting Could Solve the Green Party and RFK Jr. ‘Spoiler Effect’  appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Aug. 30, 2024

Today’s Script

(Variations occur with audio due to editing for time. Today’s Links below the script)

You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.

Alaska implemented its Top 4 open primary and ranked choice voting system in 2022, after voters approved Ballot Measure 2 in 2020 in a close vote. A right wing ballot measure to repeal it, marred by questionable practices, was upheld by the Alaska Supreme Court on August 22nd will appear on the  November ballot.

We reported in 2022 that over 80% of Alaska voters found ranked choice voting easy to use, and that the open primary system offered many more candidate choices.   It also implemented a “Top 4” Congressional race, where the top four vote-getters advance to the general election, again, in an effort to offer more choice to voters.  Republicans blame the system for the election of Democratic Congresswoman Mary Peltola.

A group formed to repeal it, Alaskans for Honest Elections, was fined $94,000 in June for violating the state’s dark money disclosure laws, after a nonprofit church organization contributed $90,000.  Pro-RCV Alaskans for Better Elections also questioned the validity of some signatures gathered for the anti-RCV campaign, but the Alaska Supreme Court upheld a lower court’s certification of the signatures last week. 

The measure will now appear on the November 5th ballot.  Do Alaskans like more ballot choices enough to keep open primaries and ranked choice voting?  It’s likely to be a close vote.   We have our past reports and local reporting at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.   I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
Alaska Beacon – Alaska Supreme Court upholds ranked choice repeal initiative, now bound for November vote

BallotPedia – Ballot Measure Which Established Alaska’s Top-Four Ranked-Choice Voting and Campaign Finance Laws Initiative (2020)
BallotPedia – Ballot Measure To Repeal Alaska’s Top-Four Ranked-Choice Voting and Campaign Finance Laws Initiative
American Democracy Minute – Fines Upheld for Alaska Pastor Using His Church Organization to Funnel ‘Free Speech’ Money to Political Groups Trying Repeal Ranked Choice Voting
Alaska Division of Elections – Ranked Choice Voting, Explained

Groups Taking Action:
Alaskans for Better Elections, Represent.Us

Check Your Voter Registration:

• U.S. Election Assistance Commission – Register And Vote in Your State
• USA Vote Foundation – Registration, Eligibility, State Election Office Links
• Vote.Gov – Register to Vote in Your State
• Vote.Org – Check Your Registration to Vote
  
  

Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter and SHARE!  

Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

Want ADM sent to your email?  Sign up here!

Are you a radio station?  Find our broadcast files at Pacifica Radio Network’s Audioport and PRX

#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #RankedChoiceVoting #OpenPrimaries #AlaskaNews

The post Will Alaska Keep Its Open Primaries and Ranked Choice Voting?  An Upcoming Anti-RCV Ballot Initiative is a Critical Test appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Feb. 2, 2024

Today’s Script

(Variations occur with audio due to editing for time. Today’s Links below the script)

You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.

Georgia is the only state which conducts statewide election runoffs for both general AND primary elections when no candidate receives a 50% majority.  But runoff elections are time consuming, have low turnout, and cost millions of dollars to run.   Ranked choice voting – also known as “instant runoff”– could solve it, BUT the Georgia Senate just voted to ban it.

The runoff in the 2022 U.S. Senate election between Raphael Warnock and Herschel Walker cost Georgia an estimated $75 Million dollars to run. On average, turnout in Georgia runoffs is 30% lower than the general election.

State and party officials have discussed doing away with runoffs entirely, and allowing a winner with less than a 50% majority.  Just last month, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger implored the legislature to end runoffs, but didn’t offer alternatives.

Maine and Alaska use instant runoff RCV statewide, and other states are considering it in 2024 for its wider choice of candidates and lower cost.  Even Georgia allows it for its military and overseas voters, because its four-week runoff cycle doesn’t allow time to return a ballot.  But on January 25th, the Georgia Senate voted to ban its use, citing voter confusion and the extra time required.  Eighty percent of Alaskans found it very or somewhat easy to use. 

The RCV ban has yet to pass the Georgia House.  We have an explainer on how RCV works at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl. 

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
The Conversation – (2022)  Georgia runoff elections are exciting, but costly for voters and democracy
Facing South – Georgia officials consider changes to state’s runoff election system
Lt Gov. of Georgia – Lt. Governor Burt Jones Announces Legislation Banning Ranked-choice Voting
Georgia Recorder – State Senate panel presses ahead with bill that would ban ranked choice voting in Georgia
Georgia Secretary of State’s Office – (2023)  Secretary Raffensperger Calls on General Assembly to Put Georgia Voters on Santa’s Nice List and End Georgia Runoffs
Georgia Secretary of State’s Office – Use of Instant Runoff for Military and Overseas Voting
WGXA – State Senate committee approves ban on ranked-choice voting
National Conference of State Legislatures – Primary Runoffs
Represent.Us – Ranked Choice Voting, Explained

Groups Taking Action:
Better Ballot Georgia, FairVote, Represent.US

Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter and SHARE!  

Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

Want ADM sent to your email?  Sign up here!

Are you a radio station?  Find our broadcast files at Pacifica Radio Network’s Audioport and PRX

#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #RCV #RankedChoiceVoting #InstantRunoff #RunoffElections #GeorgiaElections

The post Georgia has a $75 Million Runoff Election Problem. Ranked Choice Voting Would Solve It, But Instead, the Georgia Senate Just Voted to Ban RCV. appeared first on American Democracy Minute.