Support the Open Our Democracy Act

Washington is a mess. Gerrymandering and closed partisan primaries have created a gulf between the US Congress and the American people. And that gulf is growing every day.

One member of Congress is saying “enough is enough!”

Congressman John Delaney has introduced the Open Our Democracy Act to create open primaries and end partisan gerrymandering for all federal elections.

He is standing up to the entire Washington establishment. Will you stand with him?

Send your congressional representatives an email in support of the Open Our Democracy Act today. Let’s get this bill a hearing and send a message to John Delaney that we have his back.

Video on Open Primaries

Sign the petition from OPEN PRIMARIES.

Tell Senators: OPPOSE Trump's extreme and partisan judges!

Full Senate votes on four partisan, far-right Trump nominees will be happening THIS WEEK. Senators need to hear from the grassroots now that they should strongly oppose these unacceptable Trump appeals court nominees:

Joan Larsen -- nominated to the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals -- was on Trump’s infamous list of 21 potential Supreme Court nominees, prepared for him by far-right groups the Heritage Foundation and the Federalist Society. Larsen is probably favored by Trump because she would allow immense presidential authority to disobey the law -- she defended George W. Bush’s abuse of signing statements as “the president’s independent vision of what the Constitution requires” and approvingly wrote that “if the circumstances arose in which the law would prevent [the president] from protecting the nation, he would choose the nation over the statute.”

Amy Coney Barrett -- nominated to the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals -- has written that courts should be freer to overrule precedent they disagree with and co-authored an article in which she acknowledged that her personal views could prevent her from carrying out her responsibilities as a judge. Yet, at her Judiciary Committee hearing, she said she couldn’t think of an instance in which this conflict would warrant her recusal from a case!

Allison Eid -- nominated to the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals -- is also on Trump’s SCOTUS list. Her writings suggest an extreme view of federalism and hostility to the New Deal; she dissented in a State Supreme Court case and would have upheld a voucher program that the majority recognized as violating the Establishment Clause; in another dissent she distorted the plain meaning of a statute to side with a conservative candidate in a nonpartisan school board election.

Stephanos Bibas -- nominated to the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals -- once wrote in favor of replacing much of the prison system with corporal punishment including stress positions, electric shocks, and putting offenders in stocks to be pelted with food by bystanders and victims

Sign the People for the American Way petition here.

Take action: Urge your congress member to cosponsor the Open Our Democracy Act.

Washington is a mess. And you and I both know that closed primaries and partisan gerrymandering are only making the problem worse.

Congressman John Delaney just reintroduced the Open Our Democracy Act, which would implement open primaries and end gerrymandering for congressional races. It would also make Election Day a federal holiday.

Of course, this bill will need the people behind it in order to advance. That’s where we come in...

Imagine that: John Delaney is standing up to the entire Washington establishment and saying “enough is enough.” No more closed primaries. No more gerrymandered districts where the parties can control the outcome to their advantage. It’s time to empower the voters.

We need to support Congressman Delaney as he goes to bat on this crucial piece of legislation. We know the parties won’t want to pass it. We know the rest of Congress won’t want to pass it. That’s why they need to hear from YOU.

Click here to urge your congress member to cosponsor the Open Our Democracy Act.

Partisan gerrymandering creates uncompetitive districts where races are determined in the primary. You know that closed primaries allow just a handful of hyper-partisan voters to select who represents everyone, far too often. And you know that the effects of gerrymandering and closed primaries go far past Election Day.

The problem is so bad that the Harvard Business Report just released a report where they said that, “the current partisan primary system is perhaps the single most powerful obstacle to achieving outcomes for the common good.” That’s a powerful statement.

Let’s pressure Congress to give the Open Our Democracy Act a hearing. Click here to send your congress member a letter requesting them to cosponsor this crucial bill.

When you’re done, please, share this page with your network.

- Jesse Shayne
Open Primaries