Three things to think about this March 2nd
One of the greatest strengths of the Voters First movement boils down to the diversity of leadership driving the movement forward. Today, Unite America is proud to introduce five new members of its operating board, whose wealth of experience — including experience in Republican politics, Democratic politics, philanthropy, and business — reflects what the Voters First movement is all about: welcoming anyone, regardless of political background, who wants their elected representatives to put country over party.
The five board members who join Unite America in a leadership role are Dr. Carolyn Bourdeaux, Tom Curren, Christian Hendricks, Sam Mar, and Chad Sweet. Please join us in welcoming them to the team. As Unite America executive director Nick Troiano aptly noted: “An essential component of Unite America’s mission is to assemble a first-class team that embodies our core value of putting the voters first. Our movement — and, ultimately and most importantly, the voters — will benefit from their leadership and involvement.”
Moreover, the leaders driving the movement forward extend past boards and committees — the leaders also are people like you! Based on feedback from our end-of-year survey, a higher percentage of respondents said they were interested to learn how to get more involved in the movement. We’re pleased this week to share a couple of upcoming opportunities that you can take advantage of from the comfort of your own home, and we’ll try to flag similar events in the future.
1. “What’s the Matter with Primaries?” event hosted by the Bipartisan Policy Center
If you’ve been reading this newsletter for long enough, you already know that more than 83% of the U.S. House was decided by just 8% of Americans during the 2022 primaries. This is what we call #ThePrimaryProblem, which happens to be the primary problem with our politics today. To explain the problem with partisan primaries in greater detail, our partners at Bipartisan Policy Center are hosting a webinar entitled "What's the Matter with Primaries" on Thursday, March 9th.
During this event, election experts and policymakers will examine 2022 primary turnout and lessons learned from new reforms like Alaska’s nonpartisan primary system paired with a ranked choice general election system. And stay tuned for further details about the state of primaries in a future edition of our newsletter, as we’ll be covering the key points from the upcoming primaries report that the Bipartisan Policy Center will soon release!
To register for this partner event, sign up here.
2. Represent Women’s Free Democracy Summit
Our partner, Represent Women, is hosting its 2nd annual Democracy Solutions Summit, bringing together experts and leaders in election administration, voting rights, and democracy reform who are working on innovative solutions that upgrade and strengthen our democracy. This virtual summit will run March 7th - 9th from 3-5 PM EST, and all are welcome to attend!
Women experts will discuss critical issues regarding fair access, elections, and representation. They will focus on viable, scalable, and transformative solutions to build a 21st-century democracy that reflects today’s needs and values.
To register for this event, please sign up via this link.
3. When it comes to election reform, don’t “resist change for change’s sake”
Defending election reforms such as ranked choice voting and nonpartisan primaries is essential. Although these reforms have been popping off nationwide because of their efficacy in benefiting voters, there has been some pushback by those who do not like changing the status quo. However, as we keep reminding folks, pushback is a good thing — it means we’re succeeding in our mission. The bottom line is that we know that these reforms are working and giving a voice to the voters — and people from both sides of the aisle recognize it!
Speaking to this, John Pudner, President of Take Back Our Republic Action Fund, was recently featured in the official magazine of the moderate Republican public policy organization the Ripon Society, for his article, “How states are leading the way on election reform.” In closing the article, Pudner, a registered Republican says:
“As Republicans, we often resist change for change’s sake. But we should keep an eye on what is happening in Alaska and Nevada and consider how other states approach elections. In his farewell address to Congress, George Washington warned of the dangers of sectionalism, including the dangers of political parties. While I will always be pro-Republican Party, Alaska gives us a chance to see how elections can return power to the people, creating an electoral system that better captures what the Founders had in mind. The party elites may not like it, but voters should consider taking a page out of Nevada and Alaska’s playbook and advocate for similar reform measures.”
