The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Aug. 14, 2023

Today’s Script

(Variations occur with audio due to editing for time. Today’s Links below the script)

**Correction in today’s audio report**  The DC Elections Board approved the ballot measure to move forward in JULY, not June, as stated.  Sorry for the error! 

You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.

Democrats in the District of Columbia have sued the DC Elections Board to prevent a citizen ballot initiative proposing ranked choice voting and semi-open primaries, claiming it would violate the city charter, and confuse Black and Hispanic voters.  

News outlet DCist reports that the Make All Votes Count Act of 2024 was endorsed in July by the elections board to appear on the November 2024 ballot, provided the backers can collect signatures from 5% of all DC voters.

Ranked choice voting allows voters to rank a number of candidates in order of preference, allowing for options beyond just major party candidates.  If no candidate has a clear 50% majority, the last place candidate is eliminated and the votes recalculated, in a process which continues until a winner is declared.  In New York City – also a city with a high minority population – 78% of voters said they understood the RCV system “Very” or “Extremely” well, according to 2022 research by Unite America.

The Make All Votes Count Act also provides for partly open primaries, allowing DC’s almost 86,000 unaffiliated voters to vote in either a Democratic, Republican, or Statehood Green party primary.  Major party leaders perceive open primaries as an existential threat to power, despite its popularity with voters.

Arguments are scheduled for November 2023.  We have links to the ballot measure, analysis and RCV explainers at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. I’m Brian Beihl. 

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
Make All Votes Count DC – Text of “Make All Votes Count Act of 2024”
DCist – D.C. – Elections Board Gives Initial Green Light To Ballot Initiative On Ranked Choice Voting And Open Primaries

DCist – D.C. Democratic Party Sues To Keep Ranked Choice Voting And Open Primaries Off The Ballot
New York City Campaign Finance Board – (2022)  Report Highlights Ranked Choice Voting in 2021 Elections
Unite America – (2022) Two new reports on Ranked Choice Voting in NYC provide hope amidst a dismal primary season
The Hill – (Opinion) Could election reform in DC help conservatives embrace it nationwide?

FairVote – Explainer on How RCV Works

Bipartisan Policy Center – 2022 Primary Turnout: Trends and Lessons for Boosting Participation (Open Primaries are a recommendation)

Groups Taking Action:
Make All Votes Count DC, More Voice DC, Rank the Vote, Open Primaries, Fair Vote Action

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#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #RCV #OpenPrimaries

The post DC Democrats Attempt to Block Citizen Initiative Proposing Ranked Choice Voting and Semi-Open Primaries in City Elections appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for May 25, 2023

Today’s Script:  (Variations occur with audio due to editing for time) 

Today’s Links now below the script

You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.

We have updates on stories we’ve been following, including Arizona candidate Kari Lake’s election challenge, and Shasta County, California’s decision to hand count ballots.

First to Arizona, where Monday, the remaining claim in Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake’s lawsuit challenging her loss has finally been dismissed.  Lake, who disputed the 2020 Presidential election then her own 2022 election,  contended that signatures on mail-in ballots weren’t properly verified, a claim for which the judge said she had provided no credible evidence that violated the law.  Lake lost the election to Gov. Katie Hobbs by over 17,000 votes.  It’s unclear whether Lake will appeal.

Last week, a recall of Shasta County, California Commissioner Kevin Crye moved forward, with approval of the recall petition language.   KRCR reports that a citizens group now must collect over 4100 signatures to put the recall on the November ballot.  Crye is allied with MyPillow CEO and election denier Mike Lindell.

Crye and the conservative majority of the Shasta County Commission voted in March to replace existing Dominion Voting Systems tabulators with a system to hand-count ballots, at a cost of almost $1 Million dollars.   Shasta County has 111,000 registered voters, and hand counting is expected to take over a week and cost the county tens of thousands more in labor costs.   

We have more on these stories and the groups taking action at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.   I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
Courthouse News Service – Kari Lake loses election challenge
Democracy Docket – Arizona Judge Issues Final Blow to Kari Lake’s Six-Month Election Contest

NBC News – (2022) Arizona Governor’s Race Results
KRCR – A look inside Shasta County’s voting change; what state, local officials are saying
KRCR – Petition to recall Shasta County Supervisor Kevin Crye passes review “with flying colors”
Sacramento Bee – In Shasta County, moderate Republicans and union organizers push back on ‘far-right extremism’

Groups Taking Action:
Common Cause Arizona, States United Democracy Center, Recall Kevin Crye,  United Public Employees of California

Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter and SHARE!  

Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

Get ADM Radio Report email!  Sign up here!

#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #ElectionDeniers

The post Election Denier Updates: AZ Gubernatorial Candidate Kari Lake Loses Election Challenge; Shasta County CA Commissioner Recall Moves Forward appeared first on American Democracy Minute.