The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for December 30, 2022
Today’s Links
Articles & Resources:
Brennan Center for Justice – Americans rejected election denial and adopted reforms. Let’s build on that in 2023
NPR – 2020 changed how America votes. The question now is whether those changes stick
Alaska Bulletin – Five takeaway lessons from Alaska’s first ranked choice election
Roll Call – At the Races: What pushing for voting rights accomplished
City & State NY – What you need to know about New York’s new statewide public campaign finance program
Today’s Script:Â (Variations occur with audio due to editing for time)
You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.
While many states implemented intentional barriers to voting and ignored partisan gerrymandering, some forward-looking states enacted pro-voter democracy reforms, helping to make voting accessible to all of their citizens.
On the federal front, while the Freedom to Vote and For the People acts failed in the U.S. Senate, the Electoral Count Reform Act passed, helping to prevent another election subversion.
Approving ballot questions, Connecticut and Michigan added more in-person early voting in 2022. Georgia begrudgingly allowed early voting for the U.S. Senate runoff election, after democracy advocacy groups filed suit. And despite the Georgia legislature’s anti-voter SB 202 implementation, advocacy groups mobilized record turnout.
Massachusetts formalized on-demand mail-in voting, where voters can request electronically to be added to an ongoing vote-by-mail list. Nevada implemented a permanent mail-in voting program in 2022, and took its first step toward single ballot open primaries and ranked choice voting. Alaska debuted its “top four” open primary and ranked choice voting system in June for a special election, and 85% of voters thought it was simple to use.
Just after the November midterm, New York State implemented a small-donor campaign financing system, where candidates can earn matching funds by seeking out smaller contributions, reducing influence and enabling less affluent candidates to run. And Arizona banned dark money in state elections.
Read more at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. For the American Democracy Minute. I’m Brian Beihl.