Represent Pennsylvania rallies against gerrymandering in Harrisburg.
Apr 16, 2018
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By Rob Booth Organizing Director, Represent.Us |
This weekend, people from across the political spectrum came together to celebrate Representation Day 2018, and show that there's an unstoppable movement of people all across America fighting to fix our broken political system.
What Happened on Representation Day?
In dozens of cities and towns across the United States, Represent.Us members and their allies gathered to call out corruption and advance solutions to unrig the system in their communities. Here are some of the highlights:
Las Vegas, NV
Represent Las Vegas members used a pizza party to demonstrate how ranked choice voting works.
Ranked choice voting… for best pizza topping!
Vancouver, WA
Members in Vancouver, Washington, marched and dropped a “No Taxation without Representation” banner above a major interstate.
Represent Vancouver’s banner drop, as seen on Facebook Live.
Roanoke, VA
In Roanoke, Virginia, volunteers held a candidate forum with local officials to spotlight the anti-corruption reform agenda in the state.
Tuscon & Tempe, AZ
In Arizona, the two chapters that led the fight to pass Tempe’s transparency law teamed up to launch a brand new chapter: Represent Tucson. All three chapters will be fighting back against the new “dark money” law politicians passed at the statehouse.
Harrisburg, PA
In Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Represent Pennsylvania joined local partners for a massive anti-gerrymandering rally under the dome of the state capitol. Check out Facebook Live for video from the event. 
Pennsylvania has a failing grade on the corruption risk scorecard.
Lansing, MI
In Michigan, nearly twenty members of Represent Lansing - including a number of kids - braved an ice storm to rally against gerrymandering and to learn about ranked choice voting.
Fargo, ND
Members of Represent Fargo launched their chapter and made the local TV news by collecting signatures in support of an anti-corruption amendment that they aim to place on the 2018 ballot.
One of several news reports on the launch of Represent Fargo!
Chicago & West Suburban Cook County, IL
Represent Chicago and Represent West Suburban Cook County teamed up for an anti-corruption meet-and-greet at a local brewpub. Among the attendees were two journalism grad students from DePaul University who came and covered the event for a school project.
Beers and bonding in Chicago
New York, NY
Represent New York members passed out “something close to 500 flyers in an hour,” said chapter leader Tom Speaker. “It was exciting seeing people who seemed like they would ignore us turn around after reading the flyer, say, “Alright, I’m in,” then talk to us about what was on their mind."
San Diego, CA
Represent San Diego set up a waterfront booth at the March for Science and brought a poster-size version of The Periodic Table of Corruption. Even tourists stopped to ask about their state's corruption score. “Many people started signing the petition before we had a chance to pitch them!"
Represent San Diego talked anti-corruption with locals and tourists alike.
Annapolis, MD
Represent Maryland brought a live Statue of Liberty, tied down by chains of corruption, to the front of the Maryland state house. After rallying, they ended with a march through the capitol.
Lady Liberty beset by the chains of corruption: greed, apathy, gerrymandering, dark money, and more.
San Gabriel, CA
Just east of Los Angeles, Represent San Gabriel Valley brought together a coalition of local groups working to unrig the system. "[There was] A lot of good Q. and A.,” said chapter leader Sean McMorris. “People from at least 6 different cities showed up. We got some volunteers to help us collect signatures for the Alhambra ballot measure effort."
What’s Next at the Grassroots?
Representation Day is a powerful moment, and it's sparking more momentum for the local and state campaigns Represent.Us chapters are supporting year-long, including many that will be on the November 2018 ballot. Here are some highlights of volunteer-led campaigns across the country:
Phoenix, AZ
In Arizona, Represent Phoenix and Represent Sierra Vista are fighting back against dark money and helping launch Represent Tucson. Together, Represent.Us members in Arizona will fight back against a secret money law passed by state politicians.
Phoenix chapter leader Carl Parrish addresses Represent Arizona at the Tucson kickoff
Aurora, CO
Out in Colorado, organizing momentum is increasing and the state now has multiple Represent.Us chapters. Represent Denver Metro is working to support two anti-corruption reforms: the Denver campaign finance initiative (which has already made the ballot) and the Aurora Ranked Choice Voting initiative (next up!).
Boston, MA & Western MA
In just the last 6 months, Represent Western Massachusetts has passed 25 anti-corruption resolutions in partnership with Represent Boston. This year, they’ll pass 25 more resolutions and help form a cohesive grassroots network around the state.
Central New Jersey
Represent Central New Jersey just passed their 6th anti-corruption resolution and are working on their 7th right now! As one of the longest-standing Represent.Us chapters, they’re building on their success with Anti-Corruption Resolutions to support multiple binding statewide legislative reforms.
San Gabriel, CA
In the past six months the members of Represent San Gabriel Valley in California have been working to build public support for the Alhambra Campaign Finance Reform Act. Next up? Qualifying for the November ballot and then - you guessed it! - passing it.
Represent San Gabriel Valley at their Rep Day event
Connecticut
In Connecticut, Bridgeport United Against Corruption, one of the newest Represent.Us chapters, is aiming to pass a citywide anti-corruption resolution and has been meeting with councilmembers to build support.
Michigan
In Michigan, Represent Lansing is working to build strong coalitions in support of Ranked Choice Voting at the ballot.
Las Vegas, NV
Out west in Nevada, Represent Las Vegas has doubled their leadership team, and is working to pass Anti-Corruption Resolutions in North Vegas and Henderson.
#UnrigEverywhere photos from @RepresentVegas on Twitter
Pennsylvania
Represent Pennsylvania united several chapters across the state, and just finished passing 9 local Anti-Corruption Resolutions. Now, the chapter has set their sights on passing several statewide anti-corruption bills.
San Francisco, CA
Represent San Francisco is building a base of support for democracy vouchers through grassroots education and awareness in California.
Naples, FL
Represent Southwest Florida is working with partners to establish an ethics commission for the city of Naples. The road ahead is clear: qualify for and win on the August 2018 ballot.
Cook County, IL
In Illinois, Represent West Suburban Cook County has been busy. After passing a Cook County Anti-Corruption Resolution and mentoring two other newly-launched chapters (Represent Chicago and Represent DuPage), they’ve got their eyes on building a statewide network of chapters and supporting anti-corruption measures at the state level.
Represent Chicagoland on Representation Day 2018.
Roanoke Valley, VA
Represent Roanoke Valley is identifying statewide Anti-Corruption Resolutions to support in Virginia.
New York, NY
Fresh off the successful passage of a pension forfeiture amendment, Represent New York will be bringing more visibility and awareness to anti-corruption reforms.
Members of Represent New York take a break from Representation Day petitioning
Maryland
Represent Maryland members helped pass Automatic Voter Registration last week, and are supporting new state legislation on redistricting, open primaries, ranked choice voting, public campaign financing and more.
And that’s just a sample of what’s in store.
Together, our movement has already passed 75 anti-corruption measures. We’re building momentum for statewide and national reforms, and we won’t stop until we fix America’s broken political system for good.
Wish There Was A Map of All the Anti-Corruption Campaigns? Boom. Here You Go!
Explore the Movement Map to find a city or state anti-corruption campaign near you.
The American people are sick of corruption. Represent.Us members know that the most effective way to fix our broken political system is from the ground up, with people-powered campaigns at the local and state level.
These campaigns are popping up all over the country as we move into the 2018 elections, so we put together a map to keep them all in one easy-to-find place.
Highlights from the Movement Map:
- In Alaska, volunteers helped gather 45,000 signatures to put the Alaska Government Accountability Act on the ballot. The Act would hold government accountable by limiting lawmakers’ per diem when they fail to pass a budget on time, restrict lobbyist gifts to politicians, protect Alaska's elections from foreign influence, and strengthen conflict of interest rules.
- In South Dakota, the Voter Protection and Anti-Corruption Amendment would restrict lobbyist gifts to politicians, toughen ethics enforcement with an independent ethics commission, and stop politicians from overturning the will of the voters, like they did after voters passed the Anti-Corruption Act in 2016. The petition drive to qualify the measure for the ballot gathered more than 50,000 signatures.
- Represent North Dakota is powering a statewide effort to bring transparency to all major political spending so North Dakotans know who is funding campaigns. The North Dakota Anti-Corruption Amendment would ban lobbyist gifts to politicians, strengthen conflict of interest rules, and create an independent ethics commission to enforce the law. A statewide petition drive to put the Amendment on the November ballot is currently underway.
- In Missouri, Represent.Us chapters are supporting the Clean Missouri campaign to end the pay-to-play culture in the statehouse and ensure that legislative districts are drawn fairly. The Clean Missouri Initiative will make state government more transparent, limit the power of big money in the legislature, and ensure that the voters are able to hold legislators accountable when they fail to act in the public interest.
- Ohio members are supporting the Yes on Issue 1 campaign, a bipartisan redistricting ballot measure up for a vote in the May 8th primary. Issue 1 would help stop partisan gerrymandering and ensure there's public input in redistricting, so politicians aren't redrawing districts behind closed doors to guarantee their re-election.
- In Nevada, Represent.Us members will be supporting a ballot measure for automatic voter registration.
- In Colorado, Represent Denver, Represent Fort Collins and Represent Jefferson County are working to support a statewide campaign to fight gerrymandering through two redistricting ballot measures: one for congressional, and one for state legislative districts.
- And in Michigan, Represent Lansing and Represent Metro Detroit are supporting a statewide campaign that would end gerrymandering of congressional and state legislative districts.
We’re tracking dozens of anti-corruption campaigns across the country on the Anti-corruption Movement Map - find one near you and get involved now.