Friends,
While news coverage and hundreds of millions of dollars are fixated on moving the small sliver of Americans who will decide the POTUS election in less than two weeks, there is a tsunami of an opportunity for election reform in which voters in 6 states and the District of Columbia have the chance to reclaim elections away from political insiders and politicians and return them to the people, just as Alaskans did in 2020. It's a breathtaking opportunity - and one that everyday citizens across the country with a shared conviction have made possible.
The great irony is that even as this national election feels so critical, most voters across the country will be entirely ignored these final weeks: no mail, no yard signs, no TV ads, no one knocking on their doors. The elections have already been decided in most states back in primaries in the spring; we already know that the "D" or the "R" is going to win the general election. The candidates know that this general election - in which many independent voters will be voting for the first time - is a mere formality, an illusion of "representation". We know better, you know better, and that's what makes the political industrial complex nervous.
Let's make election day a sweep for election reform. It's possible!
State Campaign Updates
Nevada
Yes on 3 NV launched a series of billboards that are being displayed statewide which features Veterans for All Voters and Nevada State Leader and Marine Corps Veteran, Mike Escobar
On Saturday October 19th, Brandon Moody (Left) Veterans for All Voters Nevada Task Force Lead with Vet The Vote & We The Veterans leaders - Ben Keiser (Middle), Co-Founder and Executive Chairman, and Matt Kenney (Right), National Coordinator, National Coordinator down on the racetrack with the Team Alpha Prime Pit Crew In support of #45 "Vet The Vote" Car at the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, ran by Team Alpha Racing driver Garrett Smithley IG @garrettsmithley
Brandon Moody, Veterans for Nevada Voters State Lead and Navy Veteran, pictured with an Army Veteran and Vet The Vote supporter who told Brandon that he voted on the first day of Early Voting in Nevada!
Alaska
The Alaska Federation of Natives voted to endorse the No on 2 campaign to protect Alaska’s open primaries and ranked choice voting. “Last year, the Alaska Federation of Natives voted unanimously to endorse the preservation of the open primary and ranked choice voting system—which is why this year we are taking a stand to protect these critical reforms in urging all Alaskans to vote No on Ballot Measure 2,” said AFN Co-Chair Joe Nelson. “The open primary and ranked choice voting system gives each of us a greater voice in shaping our future, to vote for leaders who reflect our values, regardless of party affiliation. We cannot take a step backward.
Do we want to return to a system where the big political parties overwhelmingly controlled Alaskans' election choices?
Montana
Veterans for Montana Voters Attend Montana Nonprofit Association Conference
On October 10th (and 11th) the Montana team attended the Montana Nonprofit Association Conference where they met with organizations such as: Flathead Food Bank E.D., Blue Cross Blue Shield, and 4-H Foundation E.D. as well as MT Veterans where they had constructive conversations regarding their local campaign: CI-126 & CI-127
Cathy Giessel is a long-time Alaskan state legislator who was ousted in an election before the state recently changed its primary election system to an Open Primary, similar to what Montana’s are voting on in constitutional ballot measures CI-126 and CI-127. She was a previous opponent to the open primaries, but changed her mind AFTER losing an election.
Idaho
Todd Achilles (pictured above, far left), VAV State Lead and co-founder of Veterans for Idaho Voters, said he represents veterans who took an oath for Constitution and who believe in fair elections. "A third of Idahoans can’t participate in primaries under the current system because they don’t choose to identify with a party", said Achilles, who teaches public policy at Boise State University and Berkeley. As a result, Idaho has one of the least competitive elections in the nation.
Colorado
Ranked-choice voting gives voters better choices and more opportunities to make selections that truly matter. In April of last year, MIT’s Election Science and Data Lab noted there is “an extensive body of literature supporting the notion that IRV increases representation for marginalized gender and racial groups.
Wisconsin
The Wisconsin Veterans Chamber of Commerce held their annual conference last week with VAV Leaders, Mark Pfost and Kevin Miller hosting a table for Veterans for All Voters.
"This was the third year we've attended and it was far and away the most successful. There has been a marked shift in the willingness of attendees to engage in dialogue about elections and the work we are doing. Several folks were highly interested in getting involved and signed up on the spot. Others who started out a bit wary seemed to become much more receptive as our dialogues continued.
New York
Braver Angels Coliseum Debate - Does America Need Radical Change?
The Veterans for New York Voters team had a fantastic evening at the Comedy Cellar for Braver Angels' Coliseum Debate on whether America needs radical change. The discussion was engaging, with participants exploring the meaning of "radical change" and its potential impact on our country.
Arizona
Arizona elections aren't fair for many voters and candidates. It's time to reform a primary system that regularly produces the most extreme choices
An open-primary system is not new, it’s not risky and it’s not sheltering a hidden agenda. Opponents would have you believe all of that because their goal is to confuse the issue. They understand that when voters are unsure, they’re likely to vote no.
Appearances and Op-eds
On 10/22, our Founder, Eric Bronner gave an election reform presentation to the St. Louis YPO Gold Chapter. Thank you to Marc Braun, an Executive Committee Member and Leader with the St. Louis YPO Gold Chapter, for hosting an outstanding event and a great conversation
On a virtual briefing held this week, military veterans and military families representatives joined with election official Commissioner Lisa Deeley of Philadelphia to discuss the recent lawsuits targeting military and overseas voters in several states and to reiterate why military and overseas voting is a secure and important component of our free and fair elections. A recorded version of the briefing is viewable here
Ray Kimball, Arizona-based Veterans for All Voters leader, West Point grad, and former Pennsylvania military voter, said, “I relied on absentee ballot voting in Pennsylvania for my entire 30 years in uniform. This should not be a partisan issue; we should all be able to get behind the idea of Americans voting wherever they are in the world, instead of sowing lies and misinformation against that right.
James Hardaway, North Carolina-based Veterans for All Voters leader and retired Army Officer, said: “I deployed four times for combat operations in Iraq and Syria. On two of those deployments (2008 and 2016), I voted by absentee ballot from a combat zone. During those same deployments, my units fought to ensure access to voting for communities experimenting with democratic principles for the first time in their lives. These experiences cemented my commitment to the sanctity of my right to vote from anywhere as a US citizen.
Unite America's Nick Troiano discusses the new report on how 7 percent of Americans elected 87 percent of the U.S. House in this year's primaries.
Watch Nick Troiano discuss the Primary Problem and how voters in 6 states have the opportunity to fix it this Nov by opening their primaries
In the latest Encouraging Leaders podcast episode, Eric Bronner, Veterans for All Voters founder and COO, shares insights from leading a national nonprofit organization on how leaders can help reduce political polarization through nonpartisan reforms like open primaries and ranked-choice voting.
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