A letter to the EqualCitizens.US list
One week to go!
Because I’m certain you’re not getting enough election-related material, I wanted to be sure to share a few words about (other) races that are important to our movement.
The Main(e) Story
Our biggest race is Question 1 in Maine — the initiative that begins the process that will, I believe, end SuperPACs. As you know, we were instrumental in getting the initiative on the ballot. The statewide campaign — find them at CitizensToEndSuperPACs.org — has been working tirelessly to get the initiative passed. They’ve racked up an impressive list of endorsements, including the two biggest Maine papers. We’re optimistic and ready for the next steps. Stay tuned…
Ranked Choice Voting
EqualCitizens.US has long supported ranked choice voting (RCV). This election, there are four state-wide initiatives and four city initiatives. (Our friends at FairVote have the list.) Among the state-wide initiatives, Nevada is critical, as this is the second vote on an initiative that must win twice to be part of the Constitution.
There’s plenty of great debate about whether RCV is actually the best alternative to the plurality system we have now. I’m a big supporter of experiments, especially at the city level, and let’s see what works best. But we should not let a theoretical best be the enemy of an immediate good. We’re all rightfully anxious about this presidential race being determined by third-party candidates — as we have been now for 24 years! It’s time we make progress, while remaining open to even better progress.
In Colorado, I’ve been surprised by the opposition being voiced by some serious anti-big-money sorts. Mike Littwin in the Colorado Sun, for example, wrote a strong piece against the Colorado RCV measure (supported by Governor Jared Polis, Senator John Hickenlooper, and Denver Mayor Mike Johnston). His criticism is that a super-wealthy former CEO, Kent Thiry, supports the measure. The title of the op-ed summarizes the argument well: “Do we really want a gang of rich guys to tell us how to do election reform in Colorado?”
I’d be the first to flag the corrupting influence of money in American politics. That has been my focus for almost 18 years now. But we have to be able to distinguish between self-interested money, and disinterested money. When someone is spending money in ways that will benefit themselves, it is right and good to call it out — and likely oppose it. But when they are spending money in ways that won’t benefit themselves, we should focus on the merits of the idea. The field of reform is starved for resources. I’ve long admired people who’ve spent their money to reduce their own political power — like those supporting the anti-SuperPAC movement. We should encourage more with resources to do whatever they can to help improve the democratic process generally.
So, do we really want a gang of rich guys to tell us how to do election reform — anywhere? No, of course not. But do we want to reject an idea simply because it’s supported by “rich guys”? Only if you want to cement the status quo against any possible change.
Get everyone to vote!
Finally, here’s a playful video I did with an incredible democracy activist from Yale, Maia Cook.
Our research showed that if, in 2022, people under 40 had voted at the same rate as people 65 and older (which I am not!), the House would have split Democratic dramatically. Under one scenario, the Senate would have added two Democratic Senators (including one from Ohio — meaning there would not have been a Senator JD Vance!).
The lesson is simple and obvious and incredibly important: If we’re going to have a democracy that represents US, all of US need to participate. Share this video — if you can. And get your whole family out to vote — whether you can or not! (Rob Densen has been pushing “Bring your young adult to vote day.” Nicely put.) (IssueOne has an incredible report about the money behind the “voter fraud” malarky.)
Money continues to matter way too much
Finally, our friends at OpenSecrets continue to do incredible work, tracing money’s influence in our politics. They partnered with Represent.US to produce this terrifying report. We’re on track to beat all records. Beyond the aggregate numbers, though, it is important to watch the effect of more strategic spending. This short (~30 minutes) film recommended to us by a loyal supporter of EqualCitiens is a powerful look into that more targeted influence.
That’s the update. We’ll see you on the other side of (yet another) “the most important election in our lifetime”!
With gratitude,
Lessig
ps Yes, you read that right: An email asking you to support a bunch of other orgs without an ask from us! Those are the priorities! But ok! ok!, if you insist: you can help us keep the lights on here. Sign up for updates here.
