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Election Day Matters!

If everyone out there who's worried about the Bush agenda votes on November 5, we can engage in a little regime change of our own. Download , print, post and distribute MoveOn's free Regime Change Begins at Home poster. MoveOn has also identified numerous Congressional candidates nationwide involved in hotly contested races who by virtue of their antiwar voting record deserve progressive support. The ProgressiveMajority has assembled a similar list .

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There are many good ideas for improving the flawed way that US elections are conducted. Chief among these are Instant Runoff Voting proposals, which would increase voter choice and widen the electorate.

Peter Rothberg

November 1, 2002

If everyone out there who’s worried about the Bush agenda votes on November 5, we can engage in a little regime change of our own. Download , print, post and distribute MoveOn’s free Regime Change Begins at Home poster. MoveOn has also identified numerous Congressional candidates nationwide involved in hotly contested races who by virtue of their antiwar voting record deserve progressive support. The ProgressiveMajority has assembled a similar list .

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There are many good ideas for improving the flawed way that US elections are conducted. Chief among these are Instant Runoff Voting proposals, which would increase voter choice and widen the electorate.

Instant Runoff Voting is a way of deciding elections that ensures that a winning candidate receives a majority of votes rather than a simple plurality. The Center for Voting and Democracy offers all the arguments. And check out the IRV activist kit for tips on how you can get involved.

California’s Proposition 52 is also worthy of support. The Election Day Voter Registration iniative (EDVR) is a concrete reform which would allow people to both register and vote on election day. With voter participation at an all-time low (24.6 percent of eligible voters took part in California’s March primaries), Prop 52 should be a no-brainer but its passage is still far from assured.

There are numerous ways you can help make Prop 52 a success : Staffing a phone bank, helping out at campaign headquarters, walking precincts, and, of course, contributing funds, can all make a difference in the last days before the vote.

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Another state ballot iniative that deserves national attention and support is Oregon’s Measure 23 which would ensure access to affordable quality health carefor all Oregon residents through a comprehensive plan providing payment for medically necessary health services. This would be a nice model for the rest of the country if passed.

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New Yorkers: Despite the lackluster gubernatorial campaign, there is a choice this Election Day. Your vote can help build a progressive, multiracial, worker-led movement. How? By voting for Democrat Carl McCall for governor on the Working Families Party line. Read Pull That WFP Lever , from the most recent issue of The Nation for the full argument.

Peter RothbergTwitterPeter Rothberg is the The Nation’s associate publisher.


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