It’s September, which means the biggest democracy reform event in history is just around the corner. The American Democracy Summit is in Los Angeles this month from the 27th-29th and we can’t wait to see you all there. If you haven’t gotten your tickets yet, follow this link and use the code RANKTHEVOTE for 20% off, but hurry – tickets will sell out soon!
At this point you’ve probably seen our emails and social posts about how amazing ADS is going to be. Reformers, activists, and leaders like you from around the country are converging on LA to shape the future of democracy in America – we can’t think of a better way to close out the summer. You’ve also probably seen the full schedule for the summit. But what you haven’t seen yet is our exclusive Rank The Vote guide to the summit, full of special events, tips and tricks on which panels and events to attend, and all the extra insider-only things going on that week. Well, you’re in luck. All that info is detailed below.
The Inside Look:
RSVP REQUIRED: NANR Happy Hour – Tuesday 9/26 @ 5pm:
- Up first, a pre-conference happy hour and mixer hosted by the National Association of Nonpartisan Reformers. Mix and mingle with reformers from around the nation before ADS even kicks off. Meet old friends, make new ones, and plan your schedule for the week.
ADS Programming – Wednesday 9/27:
- Pre-programming! Meet the other pro-democracy shakers and movers in your state at the Regional Networking Breakfast from 8:30am to 9:30am in Changemakers B.
- The conference starts at 9:00 am on Wednesday with a Sirius XM live broadcast with Steve Scully. There are 15 official events on Wednesday and unless you’re able to be in multiple places at once, you’ll never be able to see them all. We recommend you start with the first half of Steve’s broadcast at 9:00 am.
- Then, head to the main stage for the official event kickoff at 10:30 to see Ed Helms, Ben Harper, and tons of others launch us into ADS 2023.
- Next, after a break for lunch, we’d go to “Revolutionizing the Right: RCV’s Untapped Power in GOP Strategy” at 1:30 in the Justice Room.
- After that, at 2:30 still in the Justice room, we’re going to stick around for “Protect the Win: Taking a Victory From Law to Reality”.
- There are still several more events on day one that you should check out based on your interests – gerrymandering, money in politics, the youth vote, it’s all there. While there is a cocktail hour put on by the reception Wednesday night, we’ve got something even better for you…
RSVP REQUIRED: Rooftop Toast to Grassroots RCV Leaders – Wednesday 9/27 @5:30:
- After the first day of programming ends, we all want to celebrate, right? And what better way than a rooftop cocktail reception that celebrates YOU! The leaders, volunteers, and activists that make the RCV movement real around the country. Click the link above to claim your free spot and come mix and mingle with all of the best and brightest that RCV reform has to offer (hint: that’s you and everyone like you who do the hard work of changing the country every day).
ADS Programming – Thursday 9/28:
- Thursday brings a whole new slate of programming that starts at 9:00 am again. Check the full schedule here. BUT, most importantly, Thursday features not one but two events hosted by Rank The Vote.
- We’re excited to announce the first of these is “From Vision to Victory: How to advance Ranked Choice Voting in your state legislature” with panelists FairVote Minnesota Executive Director Jeanne Massey, Oregon RCV Executive Director Mike Alfoni, The Lockhart Group Principal Stan Lockhart, and moderator and FairVote Senior Fellow and 54th Speaker of the Colorado House of Representatives Terrance Carroll. It’ll be at 3:00 in the Justice Room and will detail all the ways to be heard at your state house.
- The second event is “United We Win: Achieving Ranked Choice Voting Victories through Coalition Building” at 5:00 in the Justice Room. Panelists include Coalition of Communities of Color Advocacy Director Sol Mora, Founder and President of CORE Sean Dugar, Co-director at Democracy Rising Grace Ramsey, Ranked Choice Boston Executive Director Ed Shoemaker, Common Cause NY Executive Director Susan Lerner, and Represent Women National Partnerships Manager Victoria Pelletier. These great leaders will discuss how important coalition building is to the RCV movement and how you can help build those groups.
RSVP REQUIRED: A Toast Women Leaders In Democracy Reform – Thursday 9/28 @ 6:00:
- Our partners in democracy reform, RepresentWomen, are putting on a wonderful toast to all the powerful women leaders in the democracy reform movement. Find us there at 6:00 at The Portal within the event center itself. Meet the amazing women who power the democracy reform movement from the inside. Don’t worry, we’ll be done just in time for…
ADS Live! – Thursday 9/28 @ 7:30:
- ADS live is the big celebration of our reform week. Performances from famous actors and musicians, a giant happy hour full of reformers like you, memorable words from RepresentUs’s founder – you won’t want to miss this.
ADS Programming – Friday 9/29:
- Rank the Vote is kicking things off bright and early on Friday morning with “Empowering Democracy: The Intersection of Race, Rights, and Ranked Choice Voting” at 9:30 am in Changemakers B. Hear from Legal Director and Chief of Staff of Black Voters Matter, April Albright, Executive Director and Co-Founder of Black Voters Matter Cliff Albright, Pomona College Political Science Professor and California Citizens Redistricting Commissioner Sara Sadhwani, Ranked Choice Boston and President of the Boston NAACP Tanisha Sullivan, NYC Council Member Amanda Farias, and Minnesota Based Voting Rights and Democracy Activist Michael Griffin about how RCV can help accelerate racial justice and the empowerment of historically disenfranchised communities.
- And our final event of the week, “Meet the RCV Movement” will take place at 11:00 am in the Impact Lounge – join us for a final cap to an amazing week and rub elbows with the state and national staff and volunteer leaders of FairVote and Rank the Vote. We’ll also have a shared table all week that you can stop by and visit between sessions.
There you have it. How to navigate ADS like a Rank The Vote staffer. We CAN’T WAIT to see you all there.
Yours in democracy reform,
RCV Staff
