Unite America’s Post

🚨Since our last #PrimaryProblem update, seven states (MD, NE, WV, GA, ID, KY, OR) held congressional primaries. So far in 2024, 17 states have held primaries, and just 4% of the U.S. voting age population has already elected 45% of the U.S. House. In MD, ID, KY, and OR, only 9.1% of voters chose 20 out of 22 Representatives, while nearly 3M were barred due to closed primaries.🗳 Tomorrow, more states vote. Let’s spotlight the need for nonpartisan #ElectionReform and #OpenPrimaries to make every vote truly count! https://bit.ly/3UfAJ65

🌟 The Electoral College: A Relic or a Necessary Institution? 🌟 Did you know that a vote in Wyoming carries nearly four times the weight of a vote in California? 🤔 The Electoral College, a system forged in compromise, continues to shape our democracy in surprising—and often unequal—ways. ➡️ Dive into the hidden history, the modern-day implications, and the tough questions we must face: Can we reshape this system for a fairer future? Read more about the legacy and modern-day challenges of the Electoral College and what reform could mean for democracy. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/ecvUtpV3 #ElectoralCollege #Democracy #PoliticalReform #USHistory #VoteEquality

Can independents vote in U.S. primaries? It depends where you live. In 15 states, independents are disenfranchised from participating in congressional and state primaries. Learn more: https://bit.ly/4aIHDYz

🗨 "The United States is a democracy. That’s what schoolchildren learn. And in the U.S. system of democracy representatives are elected by majority vote. But not necessarily." 🗞 Educational News Director Marcy Burstiner decodes why you could become president without winning the majority of votes. 🔗 Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/dZWjacyT #USA #elections #democracy ************************************************************************** 📚 In our #Decoder series, ND correspondents bring their years — sometimes decades — of topical and regional expertise to break down complex current issues for young people and the general public We develop educational resources focused on these articles that can be used in the classroom and beyond. Our resources focus on using news to develop students’ critical thinking and global citizenship, and to improve their media literacy skills. To find out more about News Decoder, learn about our programs and how to partner with us, visit news-decoder.com leave a comment or DM us. #medialiteracy #globalcitizenship #criticalthinking

My Unite America colleague Carlo Macomber is out with a new explainer that describes why and how much nonpartisan primaries increase turnout. The number one reason people don't vote is because they don't like their choices. Carlo identifies four reasons why nonpartisan primaries may increase turnout: - First, all eligible voters can participate; - Second, nonpartisan primaries offer voters increased flexibility; - Third, better ideologically and demographically representative candidates to run; - Fourth, more candidates tend to run in nonpartisan primaries. What's the evidence: - States that adopt nonpartisan primaries see a 6.1-percentage point increase in primary election turnout; - In 2022, primary turnout nationally was just 21%. But turnout in the three states with nonpartisan primaries — Alaska (37%), Washington (35%) and California (29%) - The increase in participation is larger among some communities of color, thus decreasing the turnout gap between white voters and voters of color. #VotersFirst Read more: https://lnkd.in/gpz6Geux

Voters in Washington, D.C., have approved a shift to ranked choice voting, an approach that allows voters to list candidates in order of preference instead of selecting just one. The city also voted to abolish its closed primary system, beginning in 2026. Other states did not follow D.C.’s change. Voters in Colorado, Idaho, Nevada and Oregon all look to have rejected a shift to ranked-choice voting, with some votes still outstanding. Nevada’s decision was notable, as voters had approved of the plan in 2022 — it needed to win a second time to be added to the state constitution. The ballot measures in Colorado, Idaho and Nevada would also have implemented open primaries. And Arizonans and South Dakotans rejected plans to implement open primaries. https://lnkd.in/eSvCPUYP

Super informative information in this blog interview with Professor and Dean of Undergraduate Education Melinda Jackson. * Why didn't the polls change much after Kamala Harris announced her candidacy?: "The American electorate has become increasingly polarized in recent years, which has led to very “locked-in” partisan voting in presidential elections." * Where are the newest political newcomers to the election?: "One important trend in this election is the increasing influence of young voters and people of color, including Black, Latinx, Asian American and Native American voters. There are now 41 million Gen Z eligible voters (ages 18-34) in the US – including over eight million who are newly eligible in 2024." * How do we overcome misinformation?: "The best way to counteract these potential influences is to engage and educate our voting population to be smart consumers of online information, which involves the kind of critical thinking and information literacy skills that we are focused on throughout our undergraduate curriculum at SJSU." San Jose State University College of Social Sciences #CoSSProud

I was introduced to the practice of gerrymandering in an English class in the seventh grade, of all places. The teacher, who had spent a few years in the United States, explained how this practice was imported to Lebanon. However, I only learned that democratic systems can suffer from various theoretical limitations, such as Arrow's Impossibility Theorem, a couple of years ago while reading a book on social choice theory. A course from Johns Hopkins University on Coursera addresses many of these concepts in an easy and student-friendly way. In what has been dubbed a monumental year for democracy globally, citizens need to educate themselves on how electoral systems work. While the course is US-centric, most of the material applies to many other countries. Certainly, it supervenes on the debate about using a winner-take-all ranked ballot in Canada and can help us better understand the current 'first-past-the-post' system we have. Simply winning an election doesn't mean that the victors represent the will of the people. #elections #democracy #2024 https://lnkd.in/eyhvhXkp

AMERICA DECIDES: In North Carolina, 3,622,810 votes have been cast so far: Registered Democratic Votes: 1,195,527 Registered Republican Votes: 1,231,755 Other/Independent Votes: 1,195,527 Votes Cast by Women: 1,992,546 Votes Cast by Men: 1,594,036 This tally is based on party registration and does not indicate candidate preference. So far, the early vote count is 80.5% of the 2020 early voting total in North Carolina, when approximately 4.5 million people voted early. Important: 95 percent of the votes in North Carolina were cast in person, and only 5 percent were mail-in ballots. As a result, Independents and young voters will determine who wins North Carolina. It could go either way.

The purpose of presidential primaries is to help political parties select their nominee for the general election. Here's a breakdown of their key functions: 1. Candidate Selection: Primaries allow party members and registered voters to choose their preferred candidate from within their party. 2. Grassroots Engagement: They engage voters at the grassroots level, ensuring a fair and inclusive method of nominating candidates. 3. Testing Campaign Strength: Primaries help test the strength and viability of candidates' campaigns. 4. Platform Building: They play a key role in shaping the final platforms of the major candidates. 5. Democratic Participation: Primaries provide a nationwide stage for the free and open exchange of ideas and opinions, which is fundamental to participatory democracy. Does that help clarify things? https://lnkd.in/dPRq7--m