By Kevin Johnson, Larry Garber, and Edward McMahon Since Ronald Reagan launched the National Endowment for Democracy in 1982, the U.S. government has regularly funded American organizations working to support democracy overseas. In scores of countries around the world, Americans have advised on the design of new election systems, nurtured emerging civil society, funded voter…
Published in Commonwealth Magazine, March 10, 2020 VOTERS ACROSS MASSACHUSETTS approached last week’s presidential primary with different views on whom to support and what issues are most critical to address this election season. Yet many shared a common emotion: frustration at a system that stifles their voice by giving them only one choice, especially with over…
— Thank you Rob, It’s been a pleasure to get to know you and this great organization. It’s also an honor to co-host this event. When we got started, one of our first steps was to seek wisdom from Rob and Cynthia, and Rob, it was good to learn that conversation was a coming…
Published in The Fulcrum, November 13, 2019 Americans have long been talking about different reforms to our election system, but it’s a young upstart — ranked-choice voting — that is rocketing to center stage. In New York City, most people had never heard of ranked-choice voting when the city’s Charter Commission announced in April that the reform…
Published in The Fulcrum, August 22, 2019 With all eyes on the threats outsiders pose to the next presidential election, it seems we have forgotten the self-made dysfunction at the center of our democracy. Another presidential election approaches, with another victory to the popular vote loser a distinct possibility. Campaigns will again focus exclusively on a…
Ever since we started Election Reformers Network, I’ve been using the email tagline: “Fundamentally, we are not a divided people, but we do need to fix our rules.” So I was very pleased to see a New York Times Opinion piece today by law professor Tim Wu pointing out how much Americans agree on key policy questions….
By Kevin Johnson and Rob Richie Published in CommonWealth Magazine March 3, 2019 MASSACHUSETTS VOTERS care about presidential elections. Many knock on doors in New Hampshire or phone bank to voters in Florida and Ohio. Of course, they may also vote for president, but they do so knowing that what really matters will happen somewhere else….
What are the main take-aways from the 2018 primary season from an election reform perspective? In summary, some good news, some problems, and some emerging solutions. The good news is that competition and participation both increased significantly in 2018, as more people ran, more people voted, and more primaries actually offered choice to voters… But…
KEVIN JOHNSON and ROB RICHIE A ballot designed to show first, second, and third choices can lead to more mainstream candidates and less cantankerous politics. Regardless of who wins in November, the 2018 House elections are already making history. The House primaries, which started on March 5 in Texas and will continue into September, rank…
With the help of hundreds of chilly volunteers, and a last minute appearance from rock star John Fishman, the Committee for Ranked Choice gathered and submitted 80,000 signatures Friday to the Maine Secretary of State, and as a result a promising voting reform will be in use at a state-wide level for the first time…
