August 2024 – Ranked Choice Voting and Open Primaries are working so well in Alaska that they are making movies about it1. We’ve got seven states plus DC with ballot referendums for voters this November to enact one or both of these upgrades. There are grassroots organizations pushing for these reforms in 46 states.
This is momentum. But we need YOU 🫵 to keep this wave of reform surging forward. Make your voice heard by your two Senators and one US House representative with just three clicks. Right now, there are important pieces of election reform legislation before Congress: The Voter Choice Act and the Let America Vote Act.
Voter Choice2 Act (H.R. 84623 / S.3313)
This bill empowers communities across the country by giving them the option to embrace Ranked Choice Voting. The bill lowers the barriers for state and local governments by covering the costs and technical support associated with moving to a new voting method.
Let America Vote Act4 (H.R.91445)
This bill requires all states to open their primary elections to unaffiliated voters. This is significant because gerrymandering has created many “safe” electoral districts, where just one of the two major parties dominates and is virtually guaranteed to win every election.
This makes primary elections the decisive factor in determining a majority of seats in Congress and state legislatures. Currently, about half of the states ban unaffiliated voters from participating in these primaries.
This bill currently also contains provisions that Rank the Vote takes no position on related to prohibiting non-citizen voting, but you may express yours.
Your Mission, Should You Choose to Accept It
Use your voice to encourage your Member of Congress and Senators to endorse or co-sponsor one or more of these pieces of legislation! Here are the best ways to connect with their offices to make a difference – the link walks you through it and could not be easier:
>> Call them! ☎️
>> Email them! 📧
Sure, if only one of us were to call up a Member of Congress, it’s unlikely anything would happen. But that’s the power of a MOVEMENT! When thousands of us take coordinated action, things begin to shift – perhaps not overnight, but progress is made in the right direction.
Four years ago, Congressional legislation for RCV or Open Primaries wouldn’t even be a messaging bill, it would be a whisper in a bottle at the bottom of the ocean. But not today — because of YOU and others in this movement doing the little things and big things to create consensus for change.
Thank you for being the heart and soul of this movement. Let’s get going and turn up the volume on RCV and Open Primaries!
- https://majorityrulesfilm.com/ ↩︎
- https://fairvote.org/press/voter-choice-act-house-2024/ ↩︎
- https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/8462/text ↩︎
- https://www.uniteamerica.org/articles/let-america-vote-act-would-allow-23-5m-independents-to-vote-in-primaries ↩︎
- https://fitzpatrick.house.gov/_cache/files/0/9/09d58072-17ef-4dc1-a8e3-f67f99ce9f9c/C8F350C72A4C8E6E9CC0A90DA4942878.fitzbr-091-xml.pdf ↩︎