February Updates Pt. 2
- Veterans for All Voters
- Mar 5
- 5 min read
Friends,
At Veterans for All Voters, we operate above the partisan fray and we are playing the long game. We are incredibly grateful for this community of Veterans and supporters who are laser-focused on solving our country’s “Primary Problem” – The problem that’s underneath all of the other problems that are not being addressed in a reasonable, bi-partisan way. The only way to combat partisan extremism, and performative grandstanding, is through open, inclusive and competitive elections. Elections where all voters can fully participate and hold our elected leaders accountable to all of us.
Our country could use a healthy dose of hope and more courageous, common sense problem solvers. Let’s build a new political operating system that will help get us there.
Onward!
State Updates
New Mexico
Partnering with NM Open Elections, NM VAV team members Claudia Risner testified in the Senate Rules Committee (SRC) and Frank Smith testified in Senate Judiciary Committee (SJC).
The NM semi-open primaries bill, SB 16, is making good progress in the 2025 legislative session. SB 16 received a DO PASS from both the SRC and SJC earlier this month. Those are important milestones and mean it's now headed to the Senate floor for a vote. In both committees we've found support from the Democrats and resistance from the Republicans with two exceptions. A "progressive" Dem who doesn't want the primary "diluted" and a Republican who wants everyone in her district to have the opportunity to vote for her. A clear contrast depicting legislators who vote for themselves and those who vote for their constituencies
A bill to allow unaffiliated voters to participate in primary elections without having to register for a major party advanced Wednesday through the Senate Rules Committee on a 6-3 vote. The bill, sponsored in the upper chamber by Sens. Natalie Figuroa (D-Albuquerque) and Majority Floor Leader Peter Wirth (D-Santa Fe), now heads to its second committee: Senate Judiciary
One out of four New Mexico voters can’t vote in primary elections. Independent and minor party voters are not allowed to vote in major party primaries under current state law
New York
On February 4th, Veterans for All Voters proudly joined Unite NY’s Lobby Day in Albany, advocating for critical election reforms to empower voters in the Empire State.
Our representatives engaged with legislators and staff to discuss key initiatives, including term limits for statewide office, nonpartisan primaries, and citizen ballot initiatives, ensuring every New Yorker has a voice in the democratic process. By collaborating with Unite NY and other reform advocates, we continue to push for policies that strengthen participation, fairness, and transparency in our elections. Together, we stand for “More Voices, More Choices."
Washington D.C.
Principles First Summit - DC - Feb 21-23
Veterans for All Voters attended the annual Principles First summit from Feb 21-23 in Washington, DC. An outstanding group of VAV volunteer leaders including Lisa Rice, Mike Cantwell, David Nasse, and Carlos De Castro had the opportunity to speak with hundreds of attendees about election reform and the need for nonpartisan, commonsense solutions to the current polarization and ineffectiveness in our government.
The event was attended by concerned citizens from all over the country, and the speakers included current and former elected government officials, academics, journalists, and thought leaders addressing the need for serious, solutions-oriented action in the face of our current hyper-polarized political environment
Wisconsin
UWSP Veterans Group Meeting
At a recent event, Veterans for All Voters Wisconsin Volunteer Mark Pfost gave a dynamic 45-minute presentation covering Veterans for All Voters, Final Five Voting, and American Promise, while also highlighting the Let America Vote Act. Attendees engaged with the material, taking handouts and scanning QR codes for further information, and even requested his presentation to share on their club website and with a broader audience. Afterward, Mark continued the conversation over drinks, building connections that could lead to further outreach with campus and veteran groups across Wisconsin.
Missouri
Missouri Veterans Happy Hour - February 19th
In spite of a very cold snow day, 5 Missouri Veterans joined Eric for a casual happy hour in St. Louis. The cross-service camaraderie was great and the mission to make Missouri’s government more representative and responsive, through open and competitive elections, continues.
South Carolina
he Town of Irmo has passed a resolution supporting Instant Runoff Voting (IRV), also known as Ranked Choice Voting, becoming the first municipality to do so.
This aims to improve elections by ensuring majority winners without the cost and logistics of traditional runoff elections
Articles + News
In exit polling from the June 2024 primary, 88% of Arlington voters say that RCV is easy and 67% of voters want to use RCV in future elections, mirroring high voter satisfaction in other cities and states across the country where RCV is in use
State Senator Theresa Gavarone (R-Bowling Green) and State Senator Bill DeMora (D-Columbus) have introduced bipartisan legislation that would effectively prohibit the use of ranked choice voting in Ohio.
A vast majority of 2024 races for Congress and state legislatures were decided by low-turnout or meaningless primaries. The trend is making politics more polarized and eroding public trust.
Several major Indiana election reforms advanced by the Senate Elections Committee this session either failed to get approval by the full Senate or were significantly scaled back. Those included bills to cut the state’s early in-person voting days in half, SB 284; force primary voters to register with political parties, SB 201; and move all city and town elections to presidential election years, SB 355
The illegal and disruptive actions of the last month have gotten the attention of large swaths of the American population. Although many institutions and politicians are caught flatfooted by the self-coup (autogolpe), citizens can still take personal action. Some proposed actions include marches, boycotts, and lobbying of legislators. Which of these are worth doing?
Why it matters: Previous polling showed the new system was widely understood by most voters, but this survey is the first to gauge the electorate's preference as voters made decisions on who would take power under the city's new form of government.
Independents are an emerging force in American politics. They characteristically combine views of most adherents of the major parties, being more socially tolerant and fiscally aware than their partisan counterparts. They are also more likely to be split-ticket voters than the two major parties’ backers and seem to have a notable affinity for rejecting the incumbent.
Volunteer Testimonial Highlights
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