Our democracy is slipping away. We may be one or two election cycles away from falling into an authoritarian nightmare.

Ballot initiatives could be our way of preserving democracy for future generations.

Here in Arizona, they are quite common.

We have a terrible record of electing extremists to the state legislature.

They pass bills that most Arizonans find appalling. Yet, we keep sending them back to Phoenix. In my district a state senator ran unopposed in 2022. His re-election was hardly a red wave.

There is typically fierce opposition when voters propose initiatives to help the schools. If they pass, the legislature often finds ways to avoid implementing them.

Still, we need to persevere. That means more and better voter initiatives.

Arizona voters have passed and your state should consider an initiative for an Independent Redistricting Commission. This takes away the legislature’s power to Gerrymander their own districts. Our commission does not work as well as it should, but it is a start.

Ranked-Choice Voting is another initiative that all states should be considering. RCV helps keep extreme partisans from rising to the top in election contests. It worked very well in Alaska during the Midterms. It sounds complicated, but it has the potential to keep the Palins and Boeberts out of government. Here’s some info, if you are not familiar with RCV. Ranked-choice voting (RCV) – Ballotpedia

Politics is about compromise. In a democracy, you never get all of what you want. We need to start electing those who have some flexibility on issues. If a district has a competitive balance of voters with opposing perspectives, it tends to elect better people. This means no partisan Gerrymandering. Similarly, RCV helps flexible moderates from both parties get elected. Flexible legislators get things done without betraying the interests of their voters.

There is also a need to improve the mechanics of presidential primary elections. No one should get all of a state’s delegates unless they conclusively win. Sadly, this was how Donald tЯump rose to the top of a crowded 2016 GOP primary field. If the party had been using Ranked-Choice Voting that probably would not have happened.

Lastly, we need to find a way to minimize the influence of moneyed interests in our elections. The Supreme Court calls corporate donations “Free Speech”. I disagree. In 2022 Arizona voters passed an initiative that is intended to at least shed more light on who is providing the massive amounts of cash flowing into campaigns. Perhaps this will help expose how special interests “buy” politicians. Much more needs to be done. Rigorous ethical standards on the relationships between politicians and special interests must be established and enforced.

Change requires a lot of grass roots efforts. Those of you who circulate petitions, run for office at all levels, help get out the vote and work the polls are preserving our democracy.

I salute you.

LDT January 4, ’22