Deb Otis – How to Create a Better Election System in America

The Nick Halaris Show

This week on The Nick Halaris Show we are featuring Deb Otis, the Director of Research and Policy at FairVote, a nonpartisan organization seeking better elections in America through two key reforms: 1. Ranked choice voting and 2. Proportional representation in Congress. Deb is a passionate and experienced civic activist and an expert on comparative electoral systems.

I wanted to have Deb on the show to learn more about FairVote’s two big ideas for reforming American elections and understand why she and her colleagues think they are so crucial for our democracy. Whether it’s extreme voter dissatisfaction with Congress, low voter turnout in local elections, gerrymandered partisan primaries, or debates about the efficacy of the Electoral College and mail-in voting, there’s no shortage of concern about our democratic processes these days. Fortunately, reformers like Deb and previous Nick Halaris Show guest Nick Troiano of Unite America, are stepping forward with practical reforms designed to make our elections more adequately reflect the actual will of the people.

Tune in to this important episode to learn:

• How ranked-choice voting works and why it might be a better option
• What proportional representation is and how it could improve Congressional function by changing the incentive structures of politics
• Why we should also pursue both primary reform and campaign finance reform are necessary
• Ideas for improving voter engagement
• & Much, much more

Stay tuned to the end to learn how an early interest in politics and experiences working on the ground in campaigns inspired Deb to commit her life to protecting and improving our democracy.

As always, I hope you all enjoy this episode. Thanks for tuning in!

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