Peter —

The 2022 midterm elections are officially in the books, and the results we’ve seen so far aren’t what a lot of political pundits expected. The predictions of a huge red wave largely fell flat, as Democrats may hold onto a slim Senate lead, and even the House might only see a fairly narrow Republican majority. This is atypical for the opposition party in a president’s first term, which means that issues like democracy and reproductive rights were apparently as important to many voters as the economy and crime.

At Forward, we’ve kept our eye on how well ballot initiatives surrounding voting reform measures fared, and there’s some great news to share on that front. According to FairVote, ranked-choice voting (RCV) had its biggest Election Day ever, with a record 10 places voting on whether to adopt the alternative voting format, and 12 places holding RCV elections, including Maine and Alaska.

Why do we love RCV? It’s simple. In the system under which most of us still vote, a candidate can win with a simple plurality of votes. This format favors extremist candidates who cater to an ideologically extreme base—because in our polarizing times, that’s all they have to do. RCV changes the incentives, rewarding unifying candidates who appeal to the broadest cross-section of voters. It eliminates the spoiler effect, giving candidates outside the two major parties a chance to compete with them on equal footing. And most importantly, the winning candidates most fully represent the preferences of the population they serve.

As of this writing, not all of the RCV ballot initiative results are in yet, but there’s already good news to report. The voters of Portland, Ore.; Evanston, Ill.; Fort Collins, Col.; and Ojai, Calif., have voted in favor of RCV. In Nevada, a statewide RCV initiative is currently ahead with 70% of the vote counted so far. And in Maine, which already uses RCV, voters in Portland approved a measure that authorizes their city council to enact the proportional form of RCV. Congratulations to these communities and the organizations and individuals who worked so hard to see these initiatives through!

• How ranked-choice voting works —The New York Times
• Voter ID, citizenship, ranked-choice voting: Here’s what voters in these states decided about rules for future elections —CNN
• Here are the latest vote tallies in Alaska’s first ranked-choice general election —Alaska Public Media
• Larry Williams: A buffer against extremism: open primaries and ranked-choice voting —The Baltimore Sun
  
  

OTHER NEWS & VIEWS

Democrats appear to stave off House red wave
“Control of the House of Representatives remains unclear immediately after Election Day, with Democrats putting on a stronger showing than many expected. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy couldn’t declare the sweeping victory he’d forecasted for Republicans on Election Day—at least not yet. He rattled off Republican wins across the country to supporters at a party in the nation’s capital early Wednesday. Yet, despite the stage’s backdrop reading “TAKE BACK THE HOUSE,” dozens of races remained uncalled. The results were uplifting for Democrats, who were braced for sweeping losses, and have raised questions about the size of Republicans’ governing majority if they win the House.” —USA Today

Senate control hangs in balance as Georgia race heads to runoff
“The Georgia Senate race is headed to a runoff, with neither Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock nor Republican challenger Herschel Walker topping the necessary 50% required under state law to win on the first ballot. If Democrats finish with 49 Senate seats prior to the runoff, the runoff will decide which party ultimately controls the chamber. The election will take place on Dec. 6.” —NBC News

Kleinfeld: De-mainstreaming political violence
“In the last five years, political violence has skyrocketed on the right, and desire is growing on the left. The public’s willingness to support partisan violence in America now approaches levels recorded in Northern Ireland at the height of its troubles. … Political violence is, by definition, inspired by politics. To roll it back, Americans need to disincentivize it. Right now, 90% of congressional races are so safe that they fear only a threat from their own ideological side. That’s driving extremism. We need to get rid of primaries in favor of ranked-choice and other voting systems that force candidates to cater to the whole electorate.” —Rachel Kleinfeld in Politico

The story of Election Day 2022 is about the repudiation of election denialism, and the fresh opening for new ways of doing politics that ensure extremism is not allowed to thrive. Americans are hungry for sane alternatives that work, and that’s exactly where Forward has positioned itself. The future looks brighter already. We’re glad you’re on board with us!

All the best,
The Forward Party Team

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