GoodParty.org’s Post

Monitoring the Incoming results: 2020 to 2024 Pennsylvania and Michigan Early Voting Numbers In 2020, early voting surged across the country driven by the COVID-19 pandemic and a hotly contested Presidential race. As early voting counts come in, it is reasonable to expect less early voting than pandemic times, but the question is: how much less? In 2020, 886,745 Pennsylvania voters had already cast their ballots by October 20th, with another 1,237,243 casting their vote in the two weeks before the election. So far, 220,356 Pennsylvania voters have cast their ballots in this year's election, and, while this number is lower than it was at the same point in 2020, it's still substantially higher than in previous elections, showing larger participation in early and absentee voting. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/ehBRbGnS

2024: The Year of Building Yes for Ranked Choice Voting in Kansas City MO   Goal: 60% yes vote on ranked choice voting in the election of April 2025   Reason for 60%: The Missouri Secretary of State and the Missouri legislature have expressed opposition to ranking, and election officials tend to dislike change and new training. While we try to persuade them otherwise, we also need to make it clear that this is what voters want. Many cities have passed it with percentages this high or higher, so it’s an entirely realistic goal.   Reason for April 2025: Two years in advance of the next city election in 2027 is ample time for election officials to prepare, but not so much time that people wonder why we’re discussing reform of an election so far off. An April election will allow attention to this issue, not drowned out by other races, as it would be in the 2024 elections. -- Rachel MacNair for Better Ballot KC Voice and text: 816-753-2057

Every year, millions of Americans find themselves unable to vote because they miss a registration deadline, don't update their registration, or aren't sure how to register. In the 2020 presidential election, as many as 1 in 4 Americans reported not being registered to vote with over 600,000 non-voters specifically citing registration problems as their reason for not casting a ballot. September 17th, 2024 as National Voter Registration Day, a day dedicated to getting every eligible American registered to vote ahead of various state deadlines. The 2024 election is more than just the presidential election. This year we will see elections for 34 US senate seats, 435 House of Representative seats, state legislative races, and many ballot initiatives. Make sure you are #VoteReady by ensuring you are registered to vote and your registration information is up to date! We encourage you to forward this message to friends, family + colleagues and ensure they are also #VoteReady for this November. Election Day is November 5th, 2024 October 28th, 2024 is the last day to register to vote online or by mail in Colorado; you can still register in person until Election Day. To register to vote, check your voter registration status, and learn more about what is on your ballot, visit: https://lnkd.in/g62f7fDq Happy Voting! Pueblo RMSER Empowerment Center Rocky Mountain SER

"The more people that participate in New York City's elections, the stronger our democracy." Our Executive Director Paul Seamus Ryan joined the great Errol Louis on NY1 News to discuss the staggering gap between voter registration (82%) and voter turnout (7.2%-12.8%), the average age of NYC voters and the many languages we speak, and other trends from last year’s elections. They also discuss the CFB’s recommendation to align local elections with state and federal elections, which would increase participation and save tens of millions in taxpayer dollars. Watch here: https://lnkd.in/eVA9wg7D And for more details, check out our newly released Voter Analysis Report. https://lnkd.in/eNUYWPV7

The importance of voting cannot be overstressed, particularly in the upcoming primary election on May 21. The commencement of the early voting period began on April 29 and will run till May 17, providing ample time for everyone to exercise their democratic rights. Key dates also include the Absentee Ballot Request Deadline on May 10 and the Absentee Ballot Return Deadline on May 21. Composite Ballots for the General Primary & Nonpartisan General Election have been disseminated, albeit they are not specific to individual precincts or ballots. Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, Dekalb, Douglas, Fayette, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Kennesaw, and Rockdale counties all have Democratic, Nonpartisan, and Republican sample ballots available for review. Please take the time to familiarize yourselves with these before heading to the polls. In the event of a tie, the runoff elections are scheduled for June 18. We are interested to know your thoughts on this upcoming election and the impact you believe it may have on the business community. https://lnkd.in/gtuVUmbV

The momentum for election reform continues to build across the country! Yesterday, Colorado Voters First submitted 213,000 signatures to the Colorado Secretary of State for a ballot measure to bring #RankedChoiceVoting and all-party open primaries to the Centennial State. That’s nearly 90,000 more signatures than needed to qualify. And just this morning,  we learned that voters in our nation's capital will get to vote on adopting RCV on this November's ballot! Kudos to Make All Votes Count DC and Lisa D. T. Rice for leading this grassroots effort. These two parts of the country are quite different, but they have at least one thing in common: Their voters want more voice and more choice. More than 80% of Americans believe our democracy simply isn’t delivering the kind of governance we need. And every day, more and more citizens are discovering that RCV is part of the solution. https://lnkd.in/ePCXdSps

In light of the The N.C. Supreme Court's ruling to require removal of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his vice president nominee from election ballots this November, county boards of elections in North Carolina are quickly working to re-design and print new materials. This news unfortunately affects the Board of Election's schedule for dispatching absentee ballots to those that requested them, causing them to miss their deadline. County boards of elections were already prepared to send ballots to voters late last week, but an estimated 146,603 voters (including over 12,900 military and overseas voters) may receive their ballots later than expected, and after the 45-day federally-mandated deadline. 2.9 million ballots had already been printed and 2,348 different ballot styles will need to be redesigned and re-printed, reflecting nominee combinations for each area. The Board of Elections estimates that absentee voters can expect their ballots to arrive in the next few weeks. You can find out more about this news here: https://lnkd.in/ebQGkDuR What can you do? If you're voting by mail, be ready to complete and return your ballot quickly after you receive it. This will ensure that your vote arrives on time and your voice is counted! "This decision imposes a tremendous hardship on our county boards, at an extremely busy time," state elections board executive director Karen Brinson Bell said in a statement. Want to to take further action? YOU can help NCSBOE's success during this unexpected time crunch. Find out how to volunteer to become a Democracy Hero! https://lnkd.in/e6DsUQN

As we head into a new and exciting election cycle, I would like to take the time to share a brief clip from 2022. Last October, I was invited to speak to a PBS station on the impact of youth voting. In 2022, youth voters made up over 10% of total voters cast and were the only voting block with a heavy lean toward Democrats. Since 1934, there have been over 20 midterm elections. In these, the President’s party had lost an aggregate of 4 Senate seats and 30 House seats. This Midterm upended nearly 90 years of history, as the President’s party gained one Senate seat and lost only nine House seats. Several major elections were won within the margin of victory provided by young voters— including Sen. Cortez-Masto, Gov. Katie Hobbs, and Gov. Tony Evers. Youth voters didn’t just impact the 2022 Election… they determined its outcome! Young Americans have grown up hearing that we are the future of America. If the 2022 Midterms proved one thing, it’s that the future is finally here.

In light of the The N.C. Supreme Court's ruling to require removal of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his vice president nominee from election ballots this November, county boards of elections in North Carolina are quickly working to re-design and print new materials. This news unfortunately affects the Board of Election's schedule for dispatching absentee ballots to those that requested them, causing them to miss their deadline. County boards of elections were already prepared to send ballots to voters late last week, but an estimated 146,603 voters (including over 12,900 military and overseas voters) may receive their ballots later than expected, and after the 45-day federally-mandated deadline. 2.9 million ballots had already been printed and 2,348 different ballot styles will need to be redesigned and re-printed, reflecting nominee combinations for each area. The Board of Elections estimates that absentee voters can expect their ballots to arrive in the next few weeks. You can find out more about this news here: https://lnkd.in/ebQGkDuR What can you do? If you're voting by mail, be ready to complete and return your ballot quickly after you receive it. This will ensure that your vote arrives on time and your voice is counted! "This decision imposes a tremendous hardship on our county boards, at an extremely busy time," state elections board executive director Karen Brinson Bell said in a statement. Want to to take further action? YOU can help NCSBOE's success during this unexpected time crunch. Find out how to volunteer to become a Democracy Hero! https://lnkd.in/e6DsUQN

Ranked-Choice Voting Exploration in Connecticut, An Informational Update: Key Points: - Announcement: Gov. Ned Lamont announced the working group on June 6, 2022. - Legislation: The focus includes caucuses, conventions, primaries, and certain municipal elections. - Proponents: Sen. Cathy Osten (D-Sprague) and Sen. Tony Hwang (R-Fairfield), both co-sponsors of Senate - Bill 389, which previously proposed ranked-choice voting. - Current Status: The bill received a public hearing but was not advanced. Impacts and Considerations: - Election Outcomes: Ranked-choice voting can provide a more decisive outcome and may increase voter turnout by ensuring more voters' preferences are counted. - Campaign Dynamics: Candidates may need to appeal to a broader audience to secure second and third-choice votes. - Implementation Challenges: Concerns include potential delays in results, financial costs, and ensuring accessibility for all voters. Next Steps: - Working Group Meetings: The group will continue meeting throughout the summer to finalize a bipartisan implementation plan, with the next meeting scheduled for July 19.