Can independents reform america

Eight states made permanent or expanded policies that were first implemented temporarily in response to Covid, including implementing curbside voting, allowing no-excuse early voting, and sending mail ballots to all voters. Maine passed a law allowing voters 65 or older and voters with disabilities to apply to be placed on an ongoing absentee ballot list. Colorado passed laws expanding ballot access for voters with disabilities and improving vote centers and registration procedures for voters on Indian Reservations.

Virginia passed a state voting rights act, the Voting Rights Act of Virginia Illinois passed a law expanding ballot access for voters in county jails. Nevada voters approved a measure adding voting rights protections to the state constitution.

This brings the total list of such states to seventeen. Ending partisan gerrymandering Since , voters in five states have passed redistricting reforms to end partisan gerrymandering. For example, redistricting reform was supported by 75 percent of voters in Ohio, and by 71 percent of voters in Colorado.

California , which already has an independent redistricting commission for federal and state elections, passed redistricting reform for city and county elections.

The Virginia state legislature approved a constitutional amendment enacting redistricting reform, which passed again as constitutionally required in The amendment was then passed by voters in November The New Hampshire state legislature also passed redistricting reform with a large bipartisan majority. Restoring voting rights Since , ten states have restored voting rights to individuals with previous felony convictions, whether through referendum, legislation, or executive order.

From Alaska to New York, citizen-led initiatives are underway or have passed that will critically change the landscape of electoral politics. In Virginia, the new bipartisan Commonwealth Caucus recently launched to find common ground and advance electoral reforms.

The key to fixing our broken political system is to give voters a new voice — a proportional voice — in our elections, which are all too often skewed to the advantage of the partisan extremes. In a comprehensive survey of Americans, the Pew Research Center found that those who hold ideologically unyielding views are less than a third of the electorate, but they are twice as likely as their more pragmatic neighbors to attend political events, work on campaigns, contribute to candidates and, most important, vote in primaries.

This gives ideologically driven voters a disproportionate influence in elections. To address this problem, we must support efforts to increase participation, competition and accountability in our elections. Talking it out: Learning to discuss complicated issues ahead of the election. We want to hear from you: Be a part of the solution to finding solutions. Tell us here. Yurij Rudensky. June 19, May 9, Michael Li, Laura Royden.

June 7, November 5, Alaskans for Better Elections Rank the Vote NYC One Virginia Education. Brewer Fellowship. Electoral Reform Research. Accelerator Awards ' JOin Us Donate. Our Strategy. Featured News. In the News. Where We Invest. Our Fund. Utah Ranked Choice Voting Legislative leaders in Utah are working to expand the use of ranked choice voting for all offices in the state.