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 23, 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.

Residents of the District of Columbia may have a chance to implement ranked choice voting and open primaries by 2026.  That is, IF they can overcome opposition from the Democratic party’s leadership.

A citizen ballot initiative for the “Make All Votes Count DC Act of 2024” must collect signatures from 5% of the District’s 524,000 registered voters to qualify for the ballot, over 86,000 of whom are unaffiliated voters.

Those unaffiliated voters – the second largest group of voters in DC – can’t currently participate in closed Democratic and Republican primaries without switching party affiliation first.  The Make All Voters Count act would create semi-open primaries, where unaffiliated voters could choose which party primary ballot they’d like to use.   

The Act would also implement ranked choice voting for federal, District and local primary and general elections.   The Washington City Paper reports that the city council’s at-large positions often have numerous candidates.  In one recent race, the winning candidate had only 15% of the vote.  Ranked choice voting requires a 50%+1 majority to win.

The City Paper also notes that Democratic Party leadership has opposed these reforms in the past, which are seen as loosening the parties’ grip on controlling the election. Advocates have six months to collect required signatures.

We have links to the Make All Votes Count DC Act details at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  Follow us on Facebook @AmericanDemocracyMinute.  I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
Washington City Paper – A New Ballot Initiative Could Bring Ranked-Choice Voting and Open Primaries to D.C. Expect a Big Fight.
WTOP – Ballot initiative may bring major changes to DC voting
Make All Votes Count DC – Text of the Ballot Initiative

DC Board of Elections – Statistics of Registered Voters April 2023
DC Municipal Rules – INITIATIVE AND REFERENDUM

Groups Taking Action:
Make All Votes Count DC, Rank the Vote DC, DC for Democracy, Fair Vote, other coalition members

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!

#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #RankedChoiceVoting

The post “Make All Votes Count DC Act” Ballot Initiative Proposes RCV & Open Primaries for Nation’s Capital City appeared first on American Democracy Minute.