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Podcast: Ranked choice voting in NYC

Podcast: Ranked choice voting in NYC

On this episode of Toppling the Duopoly, host Shawn Griffiths welcomes back FairVote Senior Analyst Deb Otis to discuss a new report she co-authored on the impact ranked choice voting had on New York City. NYC held its first ranked choice voting primary election in June 2020, and after the November election, the nation's largest city got its most diverse city government in history.

Ranked choice voting is an alternative voting method in which voters rank candidates in order of preference. Advocates point out that RCV gives voters more choice and allows for additional rounds of runoff in no candidate has a majority without the expense of another election. A separate runoff election would also have a lower turnout meaning winners wouldn't be decided when the most voters participated.


FairVote's report shows a higher turnout in the primary, and greater confidence among voters that their voice at the ballot box mattered. Shawn and Deb dive deep into the report and talk about the importance of representation, and what voters should take away from it, as well as campaigns looking to pass ranked choice voting in their own city or state.

Want to know more about the benefits of ranked choice voting and what it offered the nation's largest city?

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What Democracy Promised Us — and What We Got Instead
a flag on a pole
Photo by Don Starkey on Unsplash

What Democracy Promised Us — and What We Got Instead

The Fulcrum is committed to nurturing the next generation of journalists. To learn about the many NextGen initiatives we are leading, click HERE.

We asked Lluvia Chavez, a Mexican-American bilingual journalist dedicated to amplifying the stories of underrepresented communities and a cohort member with the Fulcrum Fellowship, to share her thoughts on what democracy means to her and her perspective on its current health.

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Government by “the consent of the governed”

Government by “the consent of the governed”

Government by “The Consent of the Governed”

The Expand Democracy 5: A Supreme Court out of balance, collaborative legislative rules, a public primary, a faster way to tally ranked choice voting elections, and timely links.

Welcome to the latest edition of The Expand Democracy 5. From Rob Richie, with Eveline Dowling and with Juniper Shelley’s assistance, we highlight timely links and stories about democracy at the local, national, and global levels. Today's stories include:

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Tax Changes in the Federal Budget Bill Are a Disaster for Many American Families

A family together in their kitchen.

Getty Images, The Good Brigade

Tax Changes in the Federal Budget Bill Are a Disaster for Many American Families

Anyone raising children in the U.S. knows that it’s expensive. Many jobs – especially the service jobs that do essential work caring for our children and elders, bringing us food, cleaning our office buildings, and so much more – don’t pay enough to cover basic needs. From rising grocery costs to unaffordable housing, it’s becoming harder and harder for American families to make ends meet.

Unfortunately, if our leaders don’t step up, it will soon get even more difficult for families. That’s because the budget reconciliation bill passed by the U.S. Senate on Tuesday, now under consideration by the House of Representatives, includes critical tax changes that will leave many children, their families, and, ultimately, our communities in the lurch.

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