Expand the Power of Voters
- Ranked choice voting: We help to grow and sustain ranked choice voting in the United States through writing, events, research and support to organizations and individuals involved in advocacy and implementation of ranked choice voting.
- American forms of proportional representation: We translate the lessons of international uses of proportional representation (PR) to the unique conditions in the United States to encourage effective advocacy for American forms of PR that depend on casting votes directly for candidates and factor in geographic representation. We explore ways that the proportional form of RCV can fuse with other reforms like fusion voting and open primaries.
- Creating space for minor parties and independents: We believe that voters fundamentally should have more than two choices on the November ballot and that we just accommodate Americans’ growing interest in affiliation and voting patterns outside the major parties. We offer how states and civic groups can improve practices in ballot access, inclusive and substantive debates, and voting rights for unaffiliated voters.
- A National Popular Vote for President: We advocate for a national popular vote for president to ensure that every vote truly counts. Our support includes resources and guidance for advocates of the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact (NPVIC), which aims to pass legislation in states to guarantee that the presidential candidate with the most votes nationwide wins the election. We also work with policy experts to seek out the most effective pathways for legislative and constitutional change in support of direct election. This effort reflects our commitment to strengthening voter empowerment and ensuring equitable representation at the highest level of government.
Expand Voter Participation
- A constitutional right to vote: We support enshrining a fundamental, explicit constitutional right to vote, protecting every eligible citizen's ability to participate in elections. By helping develop consensus around the language for such an amendment and strategies for advancing it, we aim to create a stronger, clearer legal framework that prevents arbitrary restrictions and ensures equal access to the ballot. This foundational change would affirm voting as a protected right for all Americans, strengthening democracy at its core and enhancing statutory and legal effort to protect voting rights.
- Conversations about suffrage expansion: Expanding the electorate has always been a driving force for a more inclusive democracy. We foster discussions on broadening suffrage, exploring the possibility of extending voting rights to more groups, such as younger citizens, formerly incarcerated individuals, and residents of U.S. territories.
- New ideas for voter access: Barriers to voting, like limited polling places, ID requirements, and restrictive registration processes, can discourage participation. We’re committed to exploring and advocating for innovative solutions that ensure the security of elections while improving voter access, such as more uses of mail-in voting, extended voting periods, expansion of voter registration, sensible election consolidation, and steps toward secure mobile voting.
Expanding Deliberation and Responsiveness in Governance
- Pro-deliberation reforms of the filibuster: We support reforms to the filibuster that encourage meaningful debate and deliberation without stalling legislative progress. The current use of the filibuster often hinders legislation, obstructing progress on critical issues. We advocate for changes that preserve the filibuster’s original intent—fostering debate—while reducing its use as a tool for gridlock. Our goal is a system that balances minority rights with the need for functional governance.
- Legislative processes that respect individual expertise and views: Effective lawmaking requires respecting the diverse expertise and perspectives of legislators, allowing them to contribute meaningfully to the policymaking process. We advocate for legislative procedures that prioritize thoughtful, informed debate and collaboration, ensuring that individual voices are valued.
- Support for legislative capacity and service: Elected officials are agents of voters who are part of a large government that is only indirectly accountable to voters. We should ensure our elected bodies are given the tools and resources to be effective and responsive, with reasonable salaries and staff support. Service should not be an undue burden for legislators with families, with reasonable expectations about time and protection of privacy.
- Deliberative democracy and consulting the people: We embrace representative democracy and believe it can be strengthened when governments at every level embrace tools for consulting the people, both through formal ballot questions and deliberative democracy initiatives where representatives groups of residents are consulted about policy concerns and choices.
