Where to Start: The Legislation and the Conversation
Pressure each state to pass this legislation
to support, not block, democracy. And talk it up!
The US has 50 states and a web of state laws written by the two dominant parties to control elections and prevent voters from exercising their will. These are the priorities to get in every state, to empower our presidential vote and prevent Congress from getting re-elected 94% of the time when they have a 20% approval rating.
Use the links provided under each initiative to see a map of the US showing each state’s status on that issue. Then search for sites specific to your state and getting the legislation you want, to return democracy to your state.
Links to more information about these issues and how to track national legislation are at the Starter Links page here.
1
Make sure your state joins the National Popular Vote initiative
This is how we can DUMP the Electoral College without waiting for a constitutional amendment, so all our votes count equally, instead of handful of swing states dominating. Find your state here.
2
Make sure your state has Open Primaries (and vote in your state’s primaries!)
Exclusionary, party-controlled closed primaries actually prevent independent voters from voting at all. In addition to the problem of parties controlling the primary process, only 10-15% of voters turn out for primaries—maybe the people at the most extreme ends of the political spectrum. This does not encourage promising new candidates to run. Turn out for your state’s primary votes. If your state still has closed primaries, join with friends and local organizations and get the legislation done to take control of your reps! Find the status of your state here (map about 3/4 down the page).
3
Make sure your state has Ranked Choice Voting
People in states with ranked-choice voting really like it. Initiatives to shut it down (by you-know-who) have failed. It’s an important way to help consensus opinions rise to the top, instead of extremes. Only Alaska and Maine have ranked-choice voting at the state level. The rest need a push to make sure their preparations (or lack thereof) get all the way there. Find your state here.
4
Make sure your state ends Gerrymandering of Electoral Districts
Political parties do their best to get control of redistricting and try to gerrymander: draw squiggly lines around pockets of voters they expect to support them, to disempower other voters. The best solution so far is Independent Voting Commissions with carefully considered guidelines to prevent gerrymandering. Find your state here.
5
Ensure your state provides multiple ways to vote: Mail-in and Mobile
All states should make mail-in ballots available to everyone so voting isn’t difficult for busy people. Vote-suppressing “representatives” in some states that already have mail-in voting have tried to take it away. Several states force people people to give a REASON before they can vote by mail! There is a map showing each state’s status of early and mail-in voting as of 2024 here.
Mobile voting has also been developed that is very secure. Let’s introduce measures to test mobile voting in some local elections and see how it works out. The people who argue against convenience in voting, such as mobile and mail-in voting, are the people who want to suppress the vote in order to control the results as much as possible. Let’s take away their power to control us, and live in the 21st century.