Presidential “Spoiler” Candidates Might Soon Be a Thing of the Past

Posted by on June 21, 2019 at 12:51 PM

Featured Blog Post: The Case for National Service

Before we get into “spoilers,” I wanted to let you know about two things. First, we want to learn more about you. That’s why we’re going to start asking you a question (or two) in each Weekly Update. This week we want to know what Civic Engagement means to you.

Second, our friends at Convergence are about to come out with their new report on helping former prisoners reassimilate into society -- called the Reentry Ready Project. Convergence brought together key stakeholders (including formerly incarcerated individuals) to brainstorm innovative strategies that will transform the current system. Those solutions will be presented on Wednesday, June 26th in Washington, D.C. -- with a keynote speech by Senator Tim Kaine -- and you can register for the event now (it’s free)!

Now let’s get to those “spoilers.” As you know, voters in Presidential swing states often fear casting their ballots for third party “spoiler” candidates for fear of handing the election to the Democrat / Republican (depending on your ideological preference). In Maine, at least, voters will no longer have to fear “wasting their vote.” That’s because Maine is about to enact Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) for Presidential elections after seeing it work successfully during the midterms. If you’re unfamiliar with RCV, you can get an introduction to the concept here.

If you want your state to adopt RCV, I encourage you to check out FairVote (the driver behind Maine’s reforms) and get involved with their “Week of Action.”

And last but certainly not least, Cities of Service just announced its 10 Finalists for the 2019 Engaged Cities Award. If you want to read some truly inspiring stories of collaboration from Atlanta, Flint, Orlando, and elsewhere (including overseas), be sure to click that link.

As always, thank you for your support,

Sincerely,

Bridge Alliance Education Fund

 

Think we missed a big news story involving a Bridge Alliance member? Email us at [email protected] and we'll make sure to get the story out on social media.

 

Bridge Alliance Members in the News:

Bridge Alliance; Living Room Conversations; Better Angels; Listen First Project - Courier Journal - Why some groups are pushing for civil discourse to settle America's political differences

ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge - The Fulcrum - Let's emphasize growing collegiate voter turnout

Congressional Management Foundation - The American Prospect - To Reassert Its Lost Power, Congress Must Join the 21st Century

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