Welcome to 2025 friends.
While last year’s election is over, and the news coverage and conversations will move on to other topics (out of a rightful sense of exhaustion from following American politics), we remain keenly aware that the political crisis in our country is worsening. Americans are increasingly losing trust in Congress, the courts, elections, institutions of all sorts, and anything that touches politics. They see the divisiveness and can not envision a better future.
We, however, can. but it will take talking to our fellow Americans, especially young people, about how elections actually work, and the power that they have to change things if they are not happy. Complicated elections and political structures benefit insiders and the most extreme partisans.
We’re eager to hit the ground running in 2025 to spread a message of hope that American political dysfunction is a solvable problem if people understand the underlying conditions that got us here, and the reforms that can get us out. Let’s go
Highlighted Article: Justin Trudeau's 'One Regret' Is Not Implementing Ranked Choice Voting in Canada
As he heads for the exit, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says his "one regret" is not overhauling the voting system Canadians will use to choose the next parliamentary majority.
"I do wish that we'd been able to change the way we elect our governments in this country so that people could simply choose a second choice or a third choice on the same ballot," Trudeau said in his resignation statement earlier this week
VAV Re-cap of the SVA's 17th Annual NATCON in Colorado Springs, Colorado on Jan 2-4
Veterans for All Voters showed up BIG for the 17th Annual Student Veterans of America (SVA) National Conference (NATCON) at the beautiful Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs Colorado. VAV hosted a casual meet-up / happy hour where Eric shared about our mission and our VAV toast
VAV also had a booth in the exhibit hall in a very prime location – Right next to the food! As such, we had a lot of great foot traffic, leading to conversations with hundreds of student Veterans, and fellow Veteran leaders, from around the country. VAV recruited new leaders in Kentucky, Virginia, Georgia and Texas, and gained new supporters in many other states.
Our VAV Colorado leader, Brendan “Radar” O’Brien made the drive down for a breakout conversation with Eric around how civically engaged veterans are making a tremendous positive impact in their states by championing nonpartisan reforms that address our country’s toxic polarization crisis. If we want better outcomes for our country, we must address the bad incentives created by our overly partisan and outdated electoral process
Today, Veterans for All Voters honors the incredible life and legacy of President Jimmy Carter. From the high seas and the Oval Office, to the farm fields of Plains, Georgia, President Carter lived a life of steadfast service to his family, his state, and our great country.
Last year, we were proud to have put together a special 100th birthday card for President Carter. His legacy of integrity, compassion, and tireless commitment to service continues to inspire us at VAV. His life reminds us that true public service is about bringing people together, not dividing them. Veterans for All Voters expresses our condolences to the Carter family during this time of remembrance and mourning.
Articles to read
This was a big year for the open primaries movement. Seven state-level campaigns and one municipal. Millions of voters declaring their support for open primaries. New leaders emerging across the country. Primary elections for the first time at the center of the national reform debate. But with six out of eight campaigns failing at the ballot box, it’s also an important moment of reflection
"Speaking of broadening the range of perspectives, we should remove rules that penalize voters who identify as independent, a group that outnumbers both self-identified Republicans and Democrats. We can open primaries to independent voters, stopping the table from being set before independents have an opportunity to participate. Our states both successfully opened our primaries to unenrolled voters, and our bipartisan Let America Vote Act would do the same across the country."
The Bill would require all states that receive federal funding for elections to open their Congressional primary elections to all voters.
The Republican Sponsors are Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01) and Andrew Garbarino (NY-02)
VAV is excited to be supporting this landmark, bi-partisan legislation along with Unite America and With Honor
The number of unaffiliated or independent voters is trending higher. Gallup polling from this year shows that roughly 40-50% of voters describe themselves as independent. That self-identification hasn’t yet translated to the same percentage of voters nationally registering as independent or unaffiliated. But what it indicates is a growing dissatisfaction with the two major parties
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