FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Tuesday, August 23, 2022
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Ross Sherman, RepresentUs Media Relations Manager, 207-749-2660, rsherman@represent.us
Florence, Mass. – Amid the deluge of dire news that has come to define American politics, a new report out Tuesday provides reasons for hope: Over the last decade, the pro-democracy movement has won 161 state and local victories to fix America's broken political system.
We the People, a report published by RepresentUs marking its 10-year anniversary, tells the often-overlooked story of voters putting country over party to fix America’s broken political system. It demonstrates how the movement is fighting corruption and authoritarianism by playing the long game, passing laws at the state and local level – including Ranked Choice Voting, independent redistricting, and tough ethics and transparency laws.
“Voters have been sounding the alarm for decades: We’ve had enough of government corruption, gridlock and partisanship getting in the way of solving problems. Over the last 10 years, RepresentUs and the pro-democracy movement have heard that message loud and clear, harnessing grassroots energy and turning it into more than 160 victories to fix our broken system,” said RepresentUs CEO Joshua Graham Lynn. “We believe that our government should be of, by and for the people. By uniting unlikely allies who put country over party, we know how to win. And we’ll keep doing so until we make America the world’s strongest democracy.”
According to the report, over the past 10 years, the democracy movement has secured:
- 161 wins in dozens of states, including victories this year in Hawaii, Rhode Island, Missouri, Vermont, and North Dakota.
- 37 Ranked Choice Voting wins. 14.5 million Americans now live in places where the winner of an election actually has to get majority support from the voters. Example: This year, Alaska became the first state in the country to use a Final Four Voting nonpartisan primary/RCV general election combination.
- 15 anti-gerrymandering wins. 16.9 million Americans now live in districts where it's illegal for politicians and special interests to draw voting districts that keep themselves in power. Example: Voters in Colorado and Utah passed independent redistricting commissions.
- 11 pro-voter wins. 29.2 million Americans now have more safe and secure options to vote, including by mail or early in person. Example: Rhode Island went from being one of the hardest states to vote by mail to one of the easiest this past June.
The report reveals a path forward at a time when a recent NBC poll found the public views “threats to democracy” as the top issue facing the country. And for good reason: Election deniers are winning primaries across the country, in many cases moving one step closer to taking control of election administration. Many of these candidates have said they wouldn’t have certified the 2020 election despite dozens of audits and lawsuits confirming that the results were free and fair. Instead, they’ve signaled they would be likely to overturn the will of the people in their states if the results don’t go the way they want.
“No doubt – free and secure elections are under unprecedented attack. But our democracy's best defense against threats is a better offense,” said RepresentUs Interim Director of Political Campaigns Megan Caska. “When you're on the defensive, all you can do is react. We can't afford to do that. Instead, we need to get ahead of these attacks by passing laws that improve our elections and put power back in the hands of the people, not would-be corrupt politicians and special interests.”
This fall’s midterms provide additional opportunities to continue the momentum toward better elections. Nevada, a crucial swing state in presidential elections, will vote on a ballot measure to establish nonpartisan top-five primaries and Ranked Choice Voting. RepresentUs is also supporting a ballot measure in Portland, Ore. to establish proportional RCV for city elections. In total, the organization is supporting half a dozen pro-democracy campaigns across the country this year.
“Since we launched RepresentUs a decade ago, one question has always been top of mind: What America will we leave for our children?,” finished Lynn. “I believe every American across the political spectrum wants a better future for their kids. My hope is that this 10-year report serves not only as inspiration, but as a call to action to protect and improve American democracy for future generations.”
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RepresentUs is America’s leading nonpartisan organization fighting to protect and strengthen democracy. We unite unlikely allies from across the political spectrum who put country over party to pass pro-democracy laws, fight corruption, and defeat authoritarian threats. We have won more than 160 victories in cities and states across America since our founding 10 years ago. Each win is one step closer to our vision of making America the world’s strongest democracy.