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.

• State legislatures are using governing power to unilaterally limit voting, weaken political competition, and bend or break democratic norms —The New York Times
• Ohio Senate committee approves resolution to restrict constitutional amendments —Democracy Docket
• Legislation to change city’s nonpartisan elections heads to state Senate —Knox News
• Idaho’s closed primary election is a situation that cries out for remedy —Idaho Capital Sun
• Oregon open primaries supporters start fresh with 2024 ballot measure —Oregon Capital Chronicle
• Randy Stapilus: 2024 campaign for open primaries has begun —The Corvallis Advocate

Forward in the News

• Yang: Rise of independents shows Americans ‘fed up’ with politics —Cuomo
• Forward Party selects Colorado for national State Leads Summit —Ark Valley Voice
• Matthew Crowley: Two-party system divides us —The Ledger

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:

• Andrew Yang says the U.S. government is ‘decades behind’ the curve of error-free AI —Fox Business
• EU lawmakers call for rules for general purpose AI tools like ChatGPT —CNBC
• Artist wins Sony World Photography contest, declines award because image was AI-generated —USA Today
• See how real AI-generated images have become —The New York Times

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:

• Denver mayor election could have been settled by now with ranked-choice voting —The Denver Post
• Ranked-choice voting would eliminate mayoral runoffs —Governing
• Ranked-choice voting promises to change elections. Here’s what to know —LAist
• Letter: Ranked-choice voting would help the state —Journal Inquirer
• Letter: Ranked-choice voting represents the consensus —Tucson.com

Forwardists are out there making their mark. Are you one of them? Share your story with us! Looking for a Forward event in your area? Check out our upcoming events.

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All the best,
The Forward Party Team

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