#FairVote

[keightycat-blog]

A fair vote yes or no?

Theme-spy

[anxi0us-0p0ssum]

If you’re one of the millions of people pissed off that your choices are Trump or Biden with no real competitive third-party options, I’m sorry, but it’s too late for this election. There won’t be an energetic and unproblematic 40-year-old progressive with massive grassroots support and a deep campaigning budget magically appearing in the next four months.

Trump’s base is as energetic as ever, and conservatives are good at falling in line. Even a narrow Democrat majority won’t stop him. The electoral college is weighted in the Republican’s favor.

It is not enough for Trump to lose. Trump must lose CONVINCINGLY. Otherwise we’ll have to deal with a repeat of January 6 at best, or dictator-for-life Trump at worst.

Unless the reason you’re mad at Biden is because he raised your taxes, Trump is worse on every issue. You hate Biden continuing military aid and support for the Israeli government? Trump moved the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. He will offer Israel MORE military aid and offer full-throated support for the genocide.

But it’s not too late for the next election. Get involved in your local politics. See what positions you might be qualified for and run for local office. For legal reasons, I definitely do not recommend engaging in civil disobedience or any illegal direct action. I do recommend educating yourself on the FairVote movement and getting involved in whatever election reform campaign you can access.

The point is, figure out a way to DO something instead of trying to stop other people from doing the most effective thing most of them know how to do.

[dontmeantobepoliticalbut]

When voters cast their ballots in the upcoming April election, they will, in nearly all Illinois communities, select one candidate per race. That could change under legislation proposed in the Illinois General Assembly.

At a House Ethics and Elections Committee hearing this week, two bills were discussed that would bring ranked choice voting to the state. The format, where voters select a first, second, third, and so forth candidate, has gained traction recently in states such as Alaska.

Evanston, home to Northwestern University, became the first city in the state to adopt RCV. A November referendum passed overwhelmingly and would apply to municipal races.

The bills - House Bill 2807 from state Rep. Maurice West, D-Rockford, and House Bill 3749 from state Rep. Kam Buckner, D-Chicago - focus on presidential primaries, and municipal and township office races respectively.

Former Colorado House Speaker Terrance Carroll, now a senior fellow at FairVote, a national nonprofit promoting RCV and election reform, told lawmakers the system would benefit voters in Illinois and nationwide.

Carroll promoted RCV as a way to move past personal attacks commonplace in political campaigns and instead focus on the issues. He said assertions that the elderly and people of color would not understand the process were false and offensive.

"For someone who has been involved in party politics, probably far longer than I should have been in my life, it also helps promote more viable candidates who are running for office," he said, serving as the first Black House Speaker in Colorado from 2003 through 2011. "So, it tends to mitigate against the most extreme candidates in both parties."

Opponents have submitted more witness slips than proponents on both bills as of Wednesday. Among them is Andy Bakker, representing the Illinois Opportunity Project and Stop Rank Choice Voting Coalition in Illinois, who spoke to the committee on Tuesday.

RCV would be a "radical change" to the way Illinoisans vote, and he questioned the benefits Carroll mentioned.

"At the end of the day, rank choice voting is a scheme to disconnect elections from issues and allows candidates with marginal support to win," Bakker said. "It obscures true debate and issue-driven dialogues among candidates and eliminates genuine, true binary choices."

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Instead of one choice, voters in a ranked-choice system select their first choice among a list of candidates and then choose their subsequent second, third, and potentially fourth options.

Under RCV, a candidate automatically wins if they receive a plurality of votes as a first choice. However, in cases such as the recent Chicago mayoral race where no candidate secured a majority, an elimination process would begin.

The candidate with the lowest number of votes would be eliminated and each of their votes reallocated to their supporters’ second choice candidate. The process would repeat until one candidate secured more than 50% of the votes.

Amber McReynolds, a senior political strategist with Issue One, said that based on RCV data from states such as Alaska, New York, and California that already use RCV, voter turnout has improved while helping to manage a large field of candidates.

"This is a better voting model to ensure all voices and choices are reflected in the election results," she said, an Illinois native also visiting from Colorado.

WHAT COUNTIES ARE PREPARED TO IMPLEMENT?

Neither HB 2807 nor HB 3749 have effective dates nor have been moved out of committee, but McReynolds thinks if passed, the legislation could be quickly implemented.

More than 80% of Illinois voters live within a jurisdiction that has the systems and software to use RCV, she said. But more than a third of counties would require updates.

State Rep. Dennis Tipsword Jr., R-Metamora, raised concern about the expense of updating election systems for rural counties.

Julie Bliss, county clerk in Boone County, told committee members part of the increased expense is that ballots will be larger. It also depends on what voting software is used. Bliss added every Illinois county has a separate contract with voting companies.

States such as Vermont, Georgia and Rhode Island that have statewide contracts reduce costs and give voters a more uniform experience regardless of county, she said.

The expense estimated for Boone County, home to about 53,000 residents, ranges from $35,000 to $45,000 to purchase the needed software upgrade, she said.

Sangamon County Clerk Don Gray confirmed an upgrade to the county's Election Systems and Software would cost about $1.8 million. However, a system upgrade only would be part of the expenses, he said. Sangamon County also would need to account for increased printing costs due to larger ballots, certification with state and federal election authorities, a software update, and educating the public on what RCV means.

Aggregating election software at the state level could help with costs, but Gray said he would like to know what that means for security measures. He also noted that counties such as Cook which uses Dominion Voting Services for its tabulation, have different needs and financial abilities when it comes to elections.

"The decentralized factor of how we operate today is a great security feature, especially in the age of cybersecurity."

"Our opponents that would like to be nefarious to the system ... have to access multiple points instead of a single, universal centralized system."

With limited data on the expense, state Rep. Carol Ammons, D-Urbana, urged more research be conducted before the legislature moves forward with RCV statewide. Like Bliss, she also supported a statewide voting system.

"I understand the idea, I understand it works in other places, but I understand our process does not collect the proper data for us to analyze," she said.

[stainedglasssqurriel]

If we want to break away from the two party system in this country and have more and better choices on our ballot one day, we need to change the voting system.

[mn05org]

New Post has been published on https://news.mn05.org/173/can-rank-choice-voting-save-democracy/

Can Rank Choice Voting Save Democracy?

FairVote Minnesota, a nonprofit organization advocating for electoral reform, has been making headlines in recent years for its efforts to promote ranked choice voting (RCV) in the state. With its executive director Jeanne Massey at the helm, the organization has been working tirelessly to educate voters and policymakers about the benefits of RCV.

RCV has been shown to increase voter turnout, promote positive campaigning, and ensure that winners are elected with broad support from the electorate. FairVote Minnesota’s efforts to promote RCV have paid off: the system is now used in several Minnesota cities, including Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Duluth.

Ranked choice voting (RCV) is a system where voters rank candidates in order of preference. If no candidate receives a majority of first-choice votes, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated and their votes are redistributed to the remaining candidates based on voters’ second choices. This process continues until a candidate receives a majority of the votes.

Ranked choice voting (RCV) offers a number of benefits over traditional “winner-take-all” voting methods. Here are some of the key benefits of ranked choice voting:

More Choice for Voters: RCV allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference, instead of choosing just one. This means voters can vote for their preferred candidate without worrying about “spoiling” the election for a candidate they prefer less. It also means voters have more choice and can express their preferences more fully.

Promotes Positive Campaigning: With RCV, candidates are incentivized to reach out to a broad base of voters, rather than just focusing on their core supporters. This can lead to more positive and issue-based campaigns, as candidates seek to appeal to a wider range of voters.

Increases Voter Turnout: Because voters have more choice and can express their preferences more fully, RCV has been shown to increase voter turnout. This is especially true in primary elections, where voters often feel they have to choose between “lesser of two evils” candidates.

Ensures Majority Support: RCV ensures that winners are elected with broad support from the electorate. If no candidate receives a majority of first-choice votes, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated and their votes are redistributed to the remaining candidates based on voters’ second choices. This process continues until a candidate receives a majority of the votes.

Saves Money: RCV eliminates the need for costly runoff elections, which are often required under traditional “winner-take-all” voting methods. This means taxpayers save money, and candidates can focus their resources on a single campaign instead of having to run multiple times.

Reduces Negative Campaigning: Because candidates are incentivized to appeal to a broad range of voters, negative campaigning is less effective under RCV. Candidates are more likely to focus on their own strengths and policies, rather than attacking their opponents.

Overall, ranked choice voting offers a number of benefits over traditional “winner-take-all” voting methods. As more cities adopt this system, voters can look forward to more choice, more positive campaigning, and more representative elections.

RCV is not without it’s critics, one of the main criticisms of RCV is that it can be confusing for voters. In order to rank candidates, voters must understand the nuances of the system, which can be difficult for some. This can lead to disenfranchisement of some voters who may not understand how to properly rank their choices.

Another criticism of RCV is that it can lead to a lack of clarity in election outcomes. Because RCV involves redistributing votes among candidates until one candidate receives a majority, it can take longer to determine a winner. This can lead to confusion and even legal challenges in some cases.

In addition, opponents argue that RCV can disadvantage third-party candidates. Because RCV is designed to ensure that winners are elected with broad support from the electorate, third-party candidates may struggle to gain the necessary support to win. This can lead to a lack of diversity in the political process and stifle innovation and new ideas.

Finally, opponents argue that RCV can be costly to implement. Because it involves changes to the voting system, it can require new equipment, training for poll workers, and public education campaigns. This can be especially challenging for smaller municipalities with limited resources.

As we look ahead to future elections, Massey and FairVote Minnesota will continue to push for a more fair, inclusive, and representative democracy. This work is more important than ever to rebuild trust in our electoral system and ensure that all voices are heard. As with any voting method, there are trade-offs, and it is up to voters and policymakers to carefully consider the costs and benefits of any proposed changes to the electoral system.

[thumbprintus]

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[fandomtrumpshate]

Defeating Tr*mp and the Republican party: how you can help

So as you've probably heard, there is a presidential election coming up in the US this November. You may even be experiencing some concern about the outcome of that election -- given both the high stakes and the active efforts by Republicans to suppress the vote -- and wondering what more you can do to stave off the possibility of a literal fascist takeover of the United States.

The good news is: you're not helpless. There are wonderful organizations out there -- staffed by knowledgeable, talented people with their feet already on the ground -- and they could use your help.

Here are a few of them:

VoteBeat offers deeply-researched local reporting about elections, which is both valuable and rare in the current news environment. A spinoff of ChalkBeat, it was founded and is run by journalists from ProPublica.

Spread the Vote is an organization that works on the ground to help every eligible voter secure the documentation and the access they need to make their voices heard. In particular, StV runs a program called Vote by Mail in Jail to help ensure that incarcerated persons also have access to these rights.

VoteRiders, like StV, works to ensure that every American has the opportunity to vote. In particular, they provide financial and practical support to trans people so that they can get hold of the documentation they need and can vote safely and confidently.

FairVote advocates for ranked-choice voting, a system in wide use outside the US which far more effectively captures the will of the electorate. (we don't have an individual feature page for them, but FV was one of FTH's supported orgs in 2020.)

(This is just a short starter list of amazing organizations, pulled from FTH's supported orgs list in past years; there are plenty of others. Please feel free to add them in reblogs!)

Ways you can help

Donate to one (or more!) of these organizations. These are all fairly small operations, even if their goals and their impact is large; they could use the help!

Volunteer your time. Many of these organizations rely on volunteers to make their day-to-day operations work. Sometimes it's necessary to do this volunteering in person, but often there is a remote option for volunteering if that's what works for you.

Run a fanworks auction to raise money. FTH recently rolled out a full and detailed playbook, sharing all of our organizational materials and step-by-step guides for how to use them and adapt them to your needs. This is a great moment to put that to work! Whether you want to raise money for one of the organizations listed above, or for some other nonprofit, or even for a progressive local candidate that could use the support (FTH doesn't do individual candidates, but you shouldn't let that stop you!) you can make a real difference while also helping to put more fanworks into the world.

[katiaodinsen]

CW for SA and Trump shit.

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Trump was literally found guilty of rape. As long as the GOP is affiliated with these people it's not okay to be.

https://apnews.com/article/trump-rape-carroll-trial-fe68259a4b98bb3947d42af9ec83d7db

Also he was guilty on all 34 accounts here

https://apnews.com/article/trump-trial-deliberations-jury-testimony-verdict-85558c6d08efb434d05b694364470aa0

I am not a Kamala Harris fan but you are absolutely a better person voting for her than Trump. In blue states or states with RVC please support the Greens. If not. Yeah, I mean I don't need to spell out the options given the alternative. Kamala>the rapist Orange clown. Also if your state doesn't have RVC follow Rank the Vote & FairVote to learn how to get it.

[zmyaro]

I just heard about the Fair Representation Act, which seems to aim to do a lot to inhibit the impact of gerrymandering.

More information about it:

Ask your representative to support it with a couple clicks:

(Put in your information, and it will identify your representative and auto-fill an example email. Sending something is more important than what you write, so you can just send that template if you don't have time/desire to write something else!)

[staneclectic]

Let’s fix presidential primaries with ranked-choice voting - The Fulcrum

[leafcabbage]

hiii guyssss hi little usamericans who follow me just a reminder that if you go to vote and go "this is bullshit i wish i didn't have to just vote for the least bad guy" consider joining a group campaigning for ranked choice voting! then you can say that your #1 is the guy you ACTUALLY want, but not worry about diverting votes from the guy who doesn't hate you personally in case your guy loses!

^ learn more about it and a local chapter campaigning for it that you can work with here!

[aurianneor]

Tener la mayoría del poder sin la mayoría de los votos

El sistema de votación en Francia, tanto para las elecciones presidenciales como para las legislativas, no es proporcional. Sólo los candidatos más votados pasan a la segunda vuelta. Favorece a los grandes partidos con un líder indiscutible.

La V República se creó para un hombre, Charles de Gaulle, líder indiscutible de un gran partido. Valorar a un líder indiscutible es un valor de derechas. Unirse detrás de un solo hombre no es un valor de izquierdas. La izquierda valora la diversidad de opiniones y el diálogo. La izquierda no puede imponerse con este tipo de elecciones.

En las elecciones presidenciales francesas de 2002 hubo 10 candidatos de izquierdas. Ninguno de ellos llegó a la segunda vuelta, pero juntos sumaron el 64% de los votos. Chirac y Le Pen juntos sólo obtuvieron el 36% de los votos en la primera vuelta. La mayoría de los franceses habían votado a la izquierda y tuvieron una segunda vuelta de derecha contra extrema derecha.

En las elecciones presidenciales de 2017 y 2022, Emmanuel Macron obtuvo el 24% en 2017 y el 27% en 2022 de los votos en la primera vuelta. La gente votó por él en la segunda vuelta para evitar a Marine Le Pen. Los candidatos de izquierda sumados en la primera vuelta obtuvieron el 27% en 2017 y el 31% en 2022. Si solo hubiera habido un candidato de izquierdas, se habría enfrentado a Marine Le Pen en la segunda vuelta.

Para las elecciones legislativas de 2024, E. Macron no ha dejado tiempo suficiente a los partidos para hacer campaña y a la izquierda para organizarse de cara a las elecciones europeas (caída del voto a France Insoumise). Esto es antidemocrático. Los pronósticos dan una amplia victoria a Rassemblement National (extrema derecha). Cuanto más pequeña es la ciudad, mayor es el resultado de Rassemblement National.

W. Bush y D. Trump fueron elegidos en Estados Unidos gracias al sistema electoral, a pesar de que una gran mayoría de la población votó en contra de ellos.

En Estados Unidos (colegio electoral) y en Francia, hay muchas más circunscripciones en el campo que en las ciudades. El voto rural está sobrerrepresentado.

En el Reino Unido, Italia, España, Suiza y Alemania, el voto de los diputados es proporcional.

Elections législatives : comment vote-t-on dans l’Union européenne ? – Toute l’Europe: https://www.touteleurope.eu/vie-politique-des-etats-membres/elections-legislatives-comment-vote-t-on-dans-l-union-europeenne/

Hay que devolver el poder al pueblo pidiendo representantes elegidos proporcionalmente y un referéndum de iniciativa popular para equilibrar su poder. Los parlamentarios eligen luego a un primer ministro. No hay necesidad de un presidente. El pueblo es soberano.

Types de démocraties – Democurieux: https://democurieux.fr/types-de-democraties/

Traducido con DeepL.com

Adam Ruins Everything – Why the Electoral College Ruins Democracy – tru TV: https://youtu.be/90RajY2nrgk?si=fXmlvOy7mkoOXiCz

Proportional #rankedchoicevoting Explained – fairvote: https://youtu.be/MSl7LYbqjWw?si=WC5w9A8kgnLmE7UY

------------------------------------------------------------------------

The American people’s choice: https://www.aurianneor.org/the-american-peoples-choice-fahrenheit-119/

Elire, c’est pas voter!: https://www.aurianneor.org/elire-cest-pas-voter-oui-au-referendum/

Les autorités illégitimes: https://www.aurianneor.org/les-autorites-illegitimes/

Oui au Référendum d’initiative populaire: https://www.aurianneor.org/oui-au-referendum-dinitiative-populaire-petition/

Vème République, toujours là…: https://www.aurianneor.org/veme-republique-toujours-la-to-read-this-in/

Législatives 2024: choisir la gauche ou la droite.: https://www.aurianneor.org/legislatives-2024-choisir-la-gauche-ou-la-droite/

2 France: https://www.aurianneor.org/2-france-jusqua-quand-travail-famille/

Avoir la majorité du pouvoir sans la majorité des votes: https://www.aurianneor.org/avoir-la-majorite-du-pouvoir-sans-la-majorite-des-votes/

Having the majority of political power without the majority of votes: https://www.aurianneor.org/having-the-majority-of-political-power-without-the-majority-of-votes/

[world-news-guru-us]

Here's how each swing state conducts a recount of ballots

Presidential election recounts are rare, but they do occur, and the rules vary by state. Among the pivotal swing states, there are different processes for requesting and conducting recounts. Of the 6,929 statewide general elections between 2000 and 2023, only 36 statewide recounts occurred, according to FairVote, a nonpartisan election research organization. If there’s a 37th on the horizon. Here…

[theotherklm]

Just Vote

Don't let anger guide your voting choices.

vote kindnessvote choicevote freedomvote voice vote justicevote greenvote brightervote seen vote balancevote healvote knowledgevote real vote welcomevote fairvote forwardvote care vote neighborvote trustvote couragevote just

[fadingsunsjvj]

Research and data on RCV in practice - FairVote

[anxi0us-0p0ssum]

You’re mad at Biden about the humanitarian crisis on the border? Trump will make it worse.

You’re mad at Biden for continuing weapons sales to Israel? Trump will give them more.

Unless you’re mad at Biden for raising your taxes, Trump will be worse on every issue. The system is rigged in Trump’s favor, so a strong effort will be needed to beat him. He can’t just lose. He must lose convincingly and so badly that his supporters are embarrassed and crawl back into their holes.

Vote for the democrats on November 5. Then, on November 6, join the FairVote campaign to give us a real chance of breaking the R/D binary.

Anti-voting rhetoric will be the death of the left. Literally.

Not a single fucking Republican voted to protect roe. It was fucking overturned in the first place bc trump got three Supreme Court appointments.

Every fucking thing wrong in this country is almost certainly the result of Republicans being in power. In 2020, Texas cut half of the polling places in black neighborhoods, and doubled them in white ones, regardless of population. It was Republicans bitching about mail in voting, and constantly, constantly fearmonger about voter fraud. Literally, their platform is about making civil rights harder to practice.

Would you like to know why? It’s because Republican politicians know better than anyone that higher voter participation means higher republican loss.

But what do I see from the online left, champions of the oppressed?

“Voting doesn’t do anything, the parties are the same, the system is rigged, etc, etc”

Don’t sit here and tell me you give a fuck about marginalized people if you aren’t ready to march your ass to the voting booth and vote out the party actively stripping their rights away.

Protest, donate, community build, unionize, and vote, vote, vote.

By the time direct action is the only option, it will be too fucking late.