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Democracy Madness regional final: Voting Rights Act vs. ranked-choice voting

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The championship round in the Democracy Madness bracket's Voting region has arrived. And the top-seeded contenders have emerged at the front of the pack. But which one will be victorious?

Ranked-choice voting blew voting at home out of the water, even with all the talk about changing how ballots are cast in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. RCV has consistently destroyed its opponents throughout the tournament, winning by at least 30 points in every round.


Writing a new Voting Rights Act, which came in as the No. 1 seed, had its first real challenge of the tournament, going head-to-head with nationwide automatic voter registration. Beating AVR by just 11 points, the New VRA looks to have another difficult battle taking on RCV, which has cruised into the finals.

It's time to cast your ballot and decide. Which will be the 2020 Democracy Madness voting "region" champ? Balloting is open through Thursday and the winner will be revealed Friday. Click "Vote Now!" and make your choice.


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True Confessions of an AI Flip Flopper
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True Confessions of an AI Flip Flopper

A few years ago, I would have agreed with the argument that the most important AI regulatory issue is mitigating the low probability of catastrophic risks. Today, I’d think nearly the opposite. My primary concern is that we will fail to realize the already feasible and significant benefits of AI. What changed and why do I think my own evolution matters?

Discussion of my personal path from a more “safety” oriented perspective to one that some would label as an “accelerationist” view isn’t important because I, Kevin Frazier, have altered my views. The point of walking through my pivot is instead valuable because it may help those unsure of how to think about these critical issues navigate a complex and, increasingly, heated debate. By sharing my own change in thought, I hope others will feel welcomed to do two things: first, reject unproductive, static labels that are misaligned with a dynamic technology; and, second, adjust their own views in light of the wide variety of shifting variables at play when it comes to AI regulation. More generally, I believe that calling myself out for a so-called “flip-flop” may give others more leeway to do so without feeling like they’ve committed some wrong.

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Support for International Students’ Mental Health Fails As Federal Visa Revocations Rise

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Support for International Students’ Mental Health Fails As Federal Visa Revocations Rise

The University of Washington’s international student population is raising concerns about the lack of mental health support provided to them by International Student Services, particularly in the context of visa revocations.

“I've personally sacrificed so much to get to UW,” first-year Kaira Wullur said. “I know my parents have also sacrificed so much. It is super draining to think that what I've been working towards could be stripped away from people who don't even know who I am.”

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Strengthening Elections, Rights, and Citizen Engagement

Strengthening Elections, Rights, and Citizen Engagement

Strengthening Elections, Rights, and Citizen Engagement

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

🔁 The primary problem is a lack of general election competition

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