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

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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 Nov. 21, 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.

A 2020 Alaska ballot initiative took steps to shine a light on dark money campaign funding. The U.S. Supreme Court just turned down a challenge to that law, and it may be good news for an expected case in Maine.

Alaska voters approved Ballot Measure 2 in 2020, which in addition to implementing open primaries and ranked choice voting, also took steps to disclose dark money funding of campaigns and ballot measures.

It requires candidates and ballot measure organizers to disclose the “true source” of funding for any contribution over $2,000 within 24 hours, limiting the ability of donors using 501c nonprofits and other entities to hide their identities.  For any group whose funding is 50% from out of state, a disclaimer must be added for all communications, including advertising. 

Claiming a violation of First Amendment rights, several groups and contributors sued, but November 18th, the U.S. Supreme Court turned down the case without comment. Great news for voters, and it also could bode well for Maine’s recently passed Question 1, limiting contributions to SuperPACs to $5,000 and requiring disclosure of those donations.  Organizers of that initiative expect it will be challenged, and think the U.S. Supreme Court majority could uphold a state’s power to regulate campaign finance contributions.

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

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
Alaskans for Better Elections – Greater Transparency in Campaign Financing
BallotPedia – Alaska Ballot Measure 2, Top-Four Ranked-Choice Voting and Campaign Finance Laws Initiative (2020)
U.S. Supreme Court – Appeal Request

Alaska Beacon – U.S. Supreme Court may consider Alaska’s ‘dark money’ disclosure rules
Anchorage Daily News – US Supreme Court rejects challenge to Alaska campaign disclosure rules approved by voters in 2020
Associated Press – A voter-approved Maine limit on PAC contributions sets the stage for a legal challenge

Groups Taking Action:

Alaskans for Better Elections, Maine Citizens to End SuperPACs

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 #Maine #Dark Money #EndCitizensUnited #SCOTUS

The post SCOTUS Turns Down Case Challenging Alaska’s Dark Money Disclosure Law. Great News for Voters and a Possibly a Future Case in Maine. appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Nov. 7, 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.

Democracy reform-related citizen ballot initiatives failed November 5th, as high turnout of GOP voters and deceptive messaging overwhelmed a citizen-led redistricting commission, open primaries and ranked choice voting.

Ohio’s Issue 1 citizen-led redistricting commission could not overcome high turnout and a deceptive rewriting of the issue’s ballot description by Ohio’s Secretary of State and Ballot Board.  That effort portrayed the reform itself as gerrymandering in an effort to confuse voters, and it failed 46 to 54 percent.  The measure proposed a 15-member, cross-partisan independent commission without politicians or lobbyists in an effort to create fair maps, rather than the current flawed politician-led system.

As part of a two-vote constitutional amendment process, Nevada voters considered Question 3, establishing a “top 5” open primary and ranked choice voting system. The second vote failed 45.5 to 54.5 percent after passing it two years ago.  

Colorado’s open primary initiative, Proposition 131, received only 44 percent approval, after being opposed by both the Democratic and Republican parties.

As of early November 6th, votes supporting Alaska’s Ballot Measure 2 to REPEAL its “top 4” open primary and ranked choice voting system had edged ahead, with 100,000 votes remaining to be counted.  

We’ll update that result and other democracy measures in a future report.

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

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
Ohio Capital Journal – Ohio voters reject Issue 1, leaving politicians in control over map-making process

Nevada Current – Nevada voters reject open primaries, ranked choice voting system
Colorado Newsline – Colorado voters appear to reject sweeping elections overhaul backed by wealthy donors
Alaska Beacon – Votes to repeal Alaska’s open primaries, ranked choice voting are narrowly ahead

Groups Taking Action:
Yes on Issue 1 Ohio, Yes on 3 Nevada, Yes on 131 Colorado, Alaskans for Better Elections

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

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 #CitizensNotPoliticians #FairMaps #RankedChoiceVoting

The post High Turnout of Conservative Voters Also Led to Losses for Democracy Reform in Ohio, Nevada, Colorado and Potentially Alaska appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Sept. 17, 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.

Two updates on stories we’ve covered recently in Pennsylvania, where its high court invalidated ballots with missing or inaccurate dates, and Alaska, where the Alaska Native population is organizing against a repeal of open primaries and ranked choice voting.

Sept. 13th, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s highest court overturned an Aug. 30th unanimous decision by the lower Commonwealth Court that mail-in ballots lacking a date or an invalid date must be counted.   The Republican National Committee and state Republicans appealed, and the Supreme Court booted the case not on the merits, but on a technicality.  

In 2022, 8,500 voters’ ballots were affected, and democracy groups are asking for an immediate hearing on the merits.   As a result of the ruling, Pennsylvanians will need to be VERY careful when filling out their mail-in ballots to make sure their vote will count.

The Alaska Federation of Natives is organizing to defeat Measure 2, a far-right -backed repeal of the state’s ranked choice voting and single ballot open primary system.  Bolts Magazine reports that with Alaska’s long voter suppression history of Natives, RCV and open primaries give Native candidates a chance to compete.  Mary Petola became the first Native Alaskan elected to Congress, in 2022.  The GOP blames the loss on the use of ranked choice voting.  

We have links to more on both stories at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org  I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
American Democracy Minute – Earlier Commonwealth Court Decision
Supreme Court of PA – Decision on Missing and Inaccurate Dates

Spotlight PA/Votebeat – High court voids ruling on mail ballots missing handwritten dates
American Democracy Minute – Will Alaska Keep Its Open Primaries and Ranked Choice Voting?  An Upcoming Anti-RCV Ballot Initiative is a Critical Test
Bolts Magazine – Native Leaders Organize to Defend Alaska’s Ranked Choice Voting System

Groups Taking Action:

ACLU PA,  PA Conference of the NAACP, Common Cause PA, Black Political Empowerment Project, ,  League of Women Voters PA,   Alaska Federation of Natives

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 #AlaskaNews #PennsylvaniaNews #MailBallots #RCV

The post Pennsylvania Won’t Count Undated Mail Ballots After All; Alaska Natives Organizing to Retain Ranked Choice Voting 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.