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Peter —
As we’ve reported every week in the Forwardist, state legislatures are continuing to wage a war against electoral reform and independent politics, cementing a two-party system that prevents competition and inevitably leads to dysfunction.
We’re seeing it in Arizona, Florida, Idaho, Minnesota, New Hampshire, North Dakota, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, and other states. Anti-reformers are trying to preemptively ban or repeal ranked-choice voting, close their primary elections, stop voters from signing petitions for new parties, make it twice as hard for independents to run for office, and block alternative parties from achieving or keeping ballot access.
What are they so afraid of?
Gallup has the answer. Recent polling shows that a record 49% of Americans define themselves as politically independent, a number equivalent to the two major parties put together. This trend threatens their political and fundraising power, and they won’t go down without a fight.
Montana is a unique case that shows just how far partisans are willing to go. There, the state GOP is pushing for a nonpartisan primary. Sounds great, right? Not quite. In their quest to prevent Sen. Jon Tester’s re-election in 2024 and change the balance of power in the U.S. Senate, they’re proposing a nonpartisan primary in which only the top two candidates would proceed to the general election, rather than the typical four or five. Further, the law would only alter the 2024 U.S. Senate race.
Primary reform, in this case, is being manipulated to advance partisan goals. The idea that a “reform” law would be adopted to serve a single cycle with a specific outcome is anathema to a principled stance on defending and enriching democracy.
Forward is fighting for more and better choices to break through partisan gridlock and heal our politics. And importantly, we believe in genuine reform made in good faith with the goal of improving our democracy—not manipulations designed to serve one party or another.
Forward in the News
OTHER NEWS & VIEWS
Gerrymandering on trial in Tennessee
A Tennessee court is hearing a redistricting case this week to determine whether partisan-drawn maps illegally advantage one party and diminish the voting power of communities throughout the state. The plaintiffs in the lawsuit claim that Tennessee Republicans, Gov. Bill Lee, and the Tennessee General Assembly excessively divided counties and cities on Senate maps, creating Senate districts that create an unfair advantage for the Republican Party in the Electoral College. “Democracy depends on fair maps that keep our communities whole and reflect who we are as a state. Tennesseans deserve nothing less,” Sen. Raumesh Akbari said. The plaintiffs are requesting that the judge block the proposed maps and require the legislature to redraw maps that maintain compliance with current constitutional district zoning guidelines. —ABC24
AI’s potential threat to workers, climate, and democracy
“Right now, businesses are deploying potentially dangerous AI tools faster than their harms can be understood or mitigated. History offers no reason to believe that corporations can self-regulate away the known risks—especially since many of these risks are as much a part of generative AI as they are of corporate greed. Businesses rushing to introduce these new technologies are gambling with peoples’ lives and livelihoods, and arguably with the very foundations of a free society and livable world.” —Public Citizen
More AI news:
Inside Minnesota’s quest for RCV
“Decent, reasonable legislators of both parties really do hate the violence, physical as well as rhetorical, that has enveloped American politics. They really do fear that our democracy is under threat. But is a system shaped by such perverse incentives capable of reforming itself? We will need many, many Tocquevillian activists to get there.” —Politico
More ranked-choice voting news:
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The Forward Party Team |
