It’s intentionally unstructured and meant first and foremost as a resource for people who want to learn. www.starvoting.org/open_democra...

Open Democracy Discussion is a virtual call where anyone anywhere can come and ask questions about voting method reform, democratic mechanics, and voting science and receive live, personalized answers from folks who are active in the space. 🧵

Most elections will still be using the outdated Choose One system, where vote splitting causes some people’s vote to matter more than others. At Equal Vote, we advocate for STAR Voting because everyone’s vote should have equal weight. Learn more at equal.vote/star

www.vote411.org/ballot allows you to enter your address to preview all the races on your ballot.

There are trade-offs with any voting method and no proposal is perfect, but there is a minimum bar that should underpin everything we put our weight behind: The weight and worth of every vote should be equal. equal.vote

This is a big deal for anyone whose goal is broad adoption of voting reform, and not just a one-off win in one or a few localities that may or may not hold up in court. We need to think big picture and put forward proposals that stand up to scrutiny and can scale.

Meanwhile, better reforms like STAR Voting are legal and constitutional in all 50 states, set a gold standard for one person, one vote, and don't violate core criteria like monotonicity that ensure that voter intent is respected.

Even if you're not good at math, we can always use help with advocacy: artistic skills, communication skills, or just willingness to do work or research are all welcome!

equal.vote/join

If you've read this far, you may want to follow these accounts which are working for better voting throughout the US!

@electionscience.bsky.social
@starvoting.bsky.social

But if California switches to a better voting method such as STAR Voting, Approval Voting, or Ranked Robin, voters will be able to show their nuanced opinions, and everyone will benefit.

equal.vote

So was Porter correct? Yes, in the primary election under California’s current voting method, she does not need support outside of her base to win. 🧵 ⬇️

The reverse is also true. In places where conservatives are the majority, conservative candidates who want a chance to win in a STAR Voting election would need to appeal to the full spectrum of voters, not just conservatives. 🧵 ⬇️

Although a left-leaning candidate is unlikely to be the favorite choice of a conservative, under STAR Voting that candidate would still be incentivized to move that voter’s score from a 0 to a 1, for example. The candidate would want to run on broadly popular issues, not polarizing ones. 🧵 ⬇️

How would this be different under a better voting method such as STAR Voting? Because voters can score all of the candidates on a scale of 0-5 with STAR Voting, candidates would be incentivized to appeal to all of the voters, not just their base. 🧵 ⬇️

Porter can assume that most conservatives will not be voting for any left-leaning candidate in the primary, so she can safely completely disregard them in her campaigning leading up to that election, as well as once in office if elected. 🧵 ⬇️

In California, a nonpartisan primary will take place in June, in which the top two contenders will advance to a November election. Dozens of candidates have declared interest. Since California uses Choose-One voting, vote-splitting will be likely. 🧵 ⬇️

Do you know any organizations that have used or intend to use Approval Voting, STAR Voting, or Ranked Robin? If so, let us know! You can reach us at [email protected].

Learn more and get it on your calendar: weallcalifornia.org/event/star-v...