With under 3 months until election day, enthusiasm for nonpartisan election reform has hit monumental levels. NANR members are on track to make 2020 another historic year for reform.
That’s why NANR is partnering with Open Primaries to present the second NANR Spotlight of the year! Mark your calendars for September 9 at 2pm ET for a virtual conversation with leaders on the front-lines of election reform -- from Alaska to Florida.
The NANR Spotlight is our opportunity to educate legislators, journalists, and reform practitioners on the growing nonpartisan calls for a more fair, honest, and representative election process. Don’t miss out!
Missed the first NANR Spotlight? Check it out:
There’s also some good news at NANR. We are looking for a new Executive Director to help our members build common resources, partnerships, and strategies that serve the reform industry. View the full description and apply on DemocracyJobs.org.
Stay tuned for another exciting announcement between NANR, L2 Political, and Citizen Data, to give nonpartisan organizations access to data and digital tools like never before.
Finally, the Board has put together a grant proposal for funders who understand the critical role the association can play in providing and facilitating institutional resources that advance our members’ goals. Contact us for more information.
Thank you for your support and your participation. We’re just getting started!
Latest Unrig It! Podcast Episode
Independent Voter News Editor Shawn Griffiths interviews NANR Board Member and Open Primaries President John Opdycke on the combined efforts to pass historic nonpartisan reforms in 2020. They discuss not only primary reform efforts, but the state of nonpartisan reform movements across the country -- successes, lessons learned, and what we can still work on as we look toward the future. Listen above.
Reform Spotlight...
VOTER CHOICE MASSACHUSETTS
Voter Choice for Massachusetts 2020’s “Yes on 2” campaign has announced its list of honorary co-chairs for its campaign to bring ranked choice voting to state elections. The campaign added 7 high-profile individuals as honorary co-chairs, including former Massachusetts governors Deval Patrick (D) and Bill Weld (R). “Yes on 2” is also hosting a virtual fundraiser on Tuesday, August 25, called “Women Leading the Way on Democracy Reform,” a conversation with Leadership Now CEO Daniella Ballou-Aares, NANR honorary co-chair Katherine Gehl, and campaign honorary co-chair Danielle Allen. Get your tickets here.
OPEN PRIMARIES
Open Primaries is starting up its virtual discussion series again, starting on September 9 at 2pm (Eastern) when it partners with NANR to showcase all the campaigns working to pass nonpartisan primary reform in their respective states or cities, including campaigns in Florida, Arkansas, North Dakota, Alaska, and St. Louis. Open Primaries will continue to take a comprehensive look at these reforms and more as we go into the 2020 election and beyond. Check out all the virtual discussions Open Primaries conducted over the summer here.
NATIONAL VOTE AT HOME INSTITUTE
The National Vote at Home Institute launched its Election Official Communication ToolKit this month, a groundbreaking resource to help public elections administrators connect with their communities and get voters the information they need in an unprecedented election year. Vote at Home created a template for election offices to easily develop a communications plan for cohesion, and provides a strategy for how to talk with voters. You can check out the toolkit here.
PROPOSITION D FOR DEMOCRACY
The STL Approves campaign to bring nonpartisan, approval voting elections with a top-two runoff (Prop D for Democracy) continues to gain momentum and support. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch Editorial Board published a glowing editorial in support of Prop D, and two new endorsements were secured from Rep. Steve Butz (D-St. Louis), and Recorder of Deeds Michael Butler.
BUSINESS FOR AMERICA
Business for America (BFA) recently hosted a virtual panel with leaders in the business community who are calling on Congress to provide states with the funding they need to provide safe, secure, and credible elections. BFA is building a strong coalition of businesses urging US lawmakers to ensure every American can vote safe in November. Their letter to Congress, with over 200 companies signed on, has been introduced to the official record of the Senate Rules Committee. Read the letter here.
REPRESENTUS
With so much confusion and disinformation, RepresentUs has launched a nonpartisan resource for all Americans to know how to cast their ballots by mail. The interactive online tool walks voters in every state through voting by absentee ballot, including application and mail-in deadlines. The group is also hosting a virtual "gala" fundraiser on August 30 at 8pm (Eastern), featuring celebrity guests like Ed Helms, Jennifer Lawrence, Dave Matthews, and more. Follow RepresentUs for registration details.
FAIR VOTE
FairVote released a new report on the effectiveness of using ranked choice voting in the presidential primaries, which found that in the 4 states that used ranked choice voting in the primaries this year - Alaska, Wyoming, Kansas, and Hawaii - voters turned out in greater numbers, took advantage of the alternative voting method, and had greater confidence in their vote. The group also recently commissioned a poll that notably showed Kamala Harris as the head-to-head winner against every other candidate speculated to be on Joe Biden's list of potential running mates.
AMERICAN PROMISE
A recent American Promise webinar—featuring several current and former elected officials as well as democracy reform advocates—focused on how we build support among people on the conservative side of the spectrum. The organization believes building bipartisan support for a 28th Amendment is crucial to the success of the movement to reduce the influence of money in politics. In celebration of Constitution Day, the group is also hosting its Quarterly Bookclub with Elaine Weiss, author of “The Woman’s Hour," on September 15 at 8pm (Eastern). Follow American Promise to get registration details.
CENTER FOR ELECTION SCIENCERE
The Center for Election Science (CES) is hosting a virtual conversation on how approval voting can help the environment movement on Thursday, August 13, at 12 pm (Pacific). CES will be joined by Michael Ruvinsky, CES board member, and Christine Morshedi, Group Leader for the San Diego County North Inland Chapter of the Citizens’ Climate Lobby. Register for the event here.
ANTI-GERRYMANDERING REFORM
The Fair Maps Virginia amendment to end single-party control over the political redistricting process has been endorsed by the state’s largest newspapers, including The Virginian-Pilot, The Washington Post, Daily Press, The Roanoke Times, and others. Most recently, the amendment was endorsed by the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
Have an update we missed? Submit your reform update!