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Center for Ballot Freedom @centerforballotfreedom.org · 7h

Asked what he makes of American politics today, Scott Morgan answers briefly: "It's a hot mess right now." @unitedkansas.bsky.social

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Center for Ballot Freedom @centerforballotfreedom.org · 9h

History offers a warning. The anti-fusion laws adopted in the late 19th century helped entrench the two-party system by limiting competition from emerging parties and reform movements. Repeating those bans today means repeating their anti-democratic effects.

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Center for Ballot Freedom @centerforballotfreedom.org · 11h

Micah Sifry interviews Aaron Estabrook about United Kansas, a newly formed political party and reform movement dedicated to restoring fusion voting and expanding voter choice. Read more: substack.com/home/post/p-...

substack.com

PODCAST: Is fusion voting being reborn in Kansas?

A new episode of This Old Democracy explores how United Kansas is building a party — and reviving a democratic tradition

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Center for Ballot Freedom @centerforballotfreedom.org · 29/09/2026

On the latest episode of This Old Democracy, Micah Sifry talks with Scott Morgan, Executive Director of the United Kansas Party and the party's candidate for Kansas Secretary of State. @unitedkansas.bsky.social substack.com/home/post/p-...

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Reposted by Center for Ballot Freedom

Andy Craig @andycraig.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

The essay discusses both and I support both. They fit together very neatly as mutually reenforcing multiparty reforms. PR only works for legislatures where you can have multi-winner races. Fusion allows other parties to meaningfully participate for everything else, all the other single-winner races.

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Center for Ballot Freedom @centerforballotfreedom.org · 29/09/2026

Fusion voting bans make it nearly impossible for serious minor parties to grow into lasting electoral forces. These laws deny emerging parties a pathway to build support, win influence, and compete—leaving voters with fewer choices and a political system dominated by the same two major parties.

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Center for Ballot Freedom @centerforballotfreedom.org · 29/09/2026

If Americans want an alternative to the two-party doom loop, fusion voting is one of the most promising solutions on the table. @andycraig.bsky.social @washingtonpost.com www.washingtonpost.com/ripple/2026/...

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Andy Craig @andycraig.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

In broad terms, reform ideas in the US break down into anti-party (or party weakening) and pro-party (i.e. multi-party). Anti-party reforms have superficial appeal but frankly don't work. Pro-party reforms aim to produce more coherent and more legible choices on the ballot, which is what does work.

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Center for Ballot Freedom @centerforballotfreedom.org · 28/09/2026

Connecticut shows how fusion voting works. With fusion voting, multiple parties can endorse the same candidate while keeping their own ballot lines. That means voters can support the Working Families Party, Independent Party, or another party without splitting the vote or acting as a spoiler.

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Reposted by Center for Ballot Freedom

The Bulwark @thebulwark.com · 22/03/2026

"I have been devoted ever since to the project of trying to revive fusion voting—once legal everywhere... and there are efforts underway in probably seven states to try to revive it." @danielcantor.bsky.social explains to @johnavlon.bsky.social why fusion voting may help save our country.

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Center for Ballot Freedom @centerforballotfreedom.org · 25/09/2026

Fusion voting was banned in many states more than a century ago, but efforts to restore it are gaining momentum. Fusion voting gives voters more choices and allows new parties and grassroots movements to build real influence without acting as spoilers.

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Center for Ballot Freedom @centerforballotfreedom.org · 25/09/2026

Fusion voting isn't a left-right issue—it's a voter choice issue. In Wisconsin, the Libertarian Party and the Working Families Party have come together to support the challenge to the state's fusion voting ban. @urbanmilwaukee.com urbanmilwaukee.com/pressrelease...

urbanmilwaukee.com

Libertarian Party of Wisconsin Supports Challenge to Wisconsin’s Fusion Voting Ban

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Center for Ballot Freedom @centerforballotfreedom.org · 24/09/2026

THE LATEST FROM OUR SUBSTACK: People don't actually hate political parties. They hate that the government keeps failing them, and parties make an easy scapegoat. So what's the real fix? Two competing visions are on the table. 🧵

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Center for Ballot Freedom @centerforballotfreedom.org · 24/09/2026

Fusion voting gives voters more choices and gives minority factions within major parties a chance to organize independently without acting as spoilers.

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Center for Ballot Freedom @centerforballotfreedom.org · 24/09/2026

If you're frustrated by the two-party system, Duverger's Law helps explain why: winner-take-all elections tend to squeeze politics into two major parties. But the rules aren't set in stone. Reforming them can create more choices for voters. That's where fusion voting comes in.

ctmirror.org

Opinion: Before you vote, learn Duverger’s Law

Democrats and Republicans both benefit from a structure that enables their duopoly by disadvantaging emerging competitors.

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Center for Ballot Freedom @centerforballotfreedom.org · 23/09/2026

Fusion voting allows multiple parties to nominate the same candidate and appear together on the ballot. That means voters can support their preferred party without helping to split the vote.

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Center for Ballot Freedom @centerforballotfreedom.org · 23/09/2026

The @acluofwi.bsky.social recently filed an amicus brief arguing that fusion voting protects the freedom of association, helps voters support candidates without backing a major party, and gives minor parties a meaningful way to build coalitions and political power. www.aclu-wi.org/cases/challe...

aclu-wi.org

Challenging Statewide Ban on Fusion Voting - ACLU of Wisconsin

Fusion voting not only allows voters to select the candidate of their choice without having to support one of the major parties, but allows minor political parties influence in elections commensurate…

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Center for Ballot Freedom @centerforballotfreedom.org · 22/09/2026

Fusion voting isn't a new idea in Michigan—it's part of the state's history. Sometimes the best reforms are the ones we've used before. @sbagen.bsky.social

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Center for Ballot Freedom @centerforballotfreedom.org · 22/09/2026

The @unitedkansas.bsky.social party is looking to appeal the Court of Appeals decision, maintaining anti-fusion voting laws. www.wibw.com/video/2026/0...

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Center for Ballot Freedom @centerforballotfreedom.org · 21/09/2026

PR helps more parties win seats. Fusion helps more parties organize, build support, & influence elections without acting as spoilers. They both offer a path toward a more representative, competitive, and responsive democracy—one with more voices, more choices, and more ways for voters to be heard.

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Center for Ballot Freedom @centerforballotfreedom.org · 21/09/2026

Michigan's fusion voting ban is facing a challenge in court. Two minor parties have sued to overturn the state's 131-year-old prohibition on fusion voting, arguing that the law limits voter choice, weakens political competition, and makes it harder for new parties to grow.

michiganadvance.com

Minor parties in Michigan are suing to allow fusion voting, calling current law anti-competition • Michigan Advance

Two lawsuits filed in state court in mid-May, one in the state’s Court of Claims and the other in Ingham County Circuit Court, are seeking to end Michigan’s longtime ban on a practice known as fusion…

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Center for Ballot Freedom @centerforballotfreedom.org · 18/09/2026

Fusion voting bans act like an anticompetitive market distortion—protecting the political status quo while limiting new voices, new coalitions, and new choices for voters. If the marketplace of political competition is broken, it’s time to remove the barriers that keep it that way.

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Center for Ballot Freedom @centerforballotfreedom.org · 18/09/2026

Micah Sifry sits down with Andy Craig in a wide-ranging and unusually candid conversation about how America’s democratic breakdown looks from outside the red-blue binary — and why structural reform is essential to survive the Trump era. Read more: substack.com/home/post/p-...

substack.com

Podcast: What Libertarians Should Get Right About Democracy (and Why It Matters Now)

On the latest episode of This Old Democracy, Micah Sifry sits down with Andy Craig — a libertarian election-policy expert whose career arc runs from the Libertarian Party and Gary Johnson’s 2016…

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Center for Ballot Freedom @centerforballotfreedom.org · 17/09/2026

Micah Sifry sits down with Jeff Timmer—a veteran Republican strategist turned outspoken defender of democratic norms—for a conversation that is equal parts diagnosis, warning, and blueprint for reform. Read more: substack.com/home/post/p-...

substack.com

Podcast: Something is brewing in Michigan

On the latest episode of This Old Democracy, Micah Sifry sits down with Jeff Timmer—a veteran Republican strategist turned outspoken defender of democratic norms—for a conversation that is equal…

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Center for Ballot Freedom @centerforballotfreedom.org · 17/09/2026

Notice how divided our political parties are today? How hyperpartisan every issue seems now? That's called the two-party doom loop. Fusion voting fixes this issue by providing voters more options to express their political will.

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Center for Ballot Freedom @centerforballotfreedom.org · 16/09/2026

Daniel Stid offers a candid and critical assessment of the state of American democracy and the often-unintended consequences of philanthropic engagement in the political sphere. Read more: substack.com/home/post/p-...

substack.com

Podcast: Daniel Stid’s Insights into Philanthropy’s Role in a Faltering Democracy

This one should get people who care about philanthropy buzzing.

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Center for Ballot Freedom @centerforballotfreedom.org · 16/09/2026

Have you gotten into a heated political debate over the Thanksgiving dinner table recently? American politics is so divided today, and one of the main reasons is our voting system. Fusion voting solves this problem by allowing for viable third-party options.

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Center for Ballot Freedom @centerforballotfreedom.org · 15/09/2026

The conversation starts with Daniel Schlozman and Micah Sifry exploring the concept of movement anchors for political parties and how this has historically worked for both major parties, albeit with different movement partners. Read more: substack.com/home/post/p-...

substack.com

Podcast: Hollow Parties, Platform Strongmen and Hope for the States, With Daniel Schlozman

In the “This Old Democracy” episode featuring political scientist Daniel Schlozman, host Micah Sifry dives into the structural weaknesses plaguing American politics, a central theme in The Hollow…

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Center for Ballot Freedom @centerforballotfreedom.org · 15/09/2026

🍂🗳️ Happy National Voter Registration Day! As fall arrives and communities gather for the season, today is a reminder to check your voter registration status, confirm your polling information, and make sure you're prepared for upcoming elections. #NationalVoterRegistrationDay #FusionVoting

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Center for Ballot Freedom @centerforballotfreedom.org · 14/09/2026

Under fusion voting, a candidate can appear on the ballot as the nominee of more than one political party. In NYC’s 2025 mayoral election, for example, Zohran Mamdani appeared on the ballot under both the Democratic Party and the Working Families Party, illustrating how the system operates.

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Center for Ballot Freedom @centerforballotfreedom.org · 14/09/2026

Imagine a world without our two-party doom loop. Under a ballot fusion system, voters will have multiple realistic options to choose from on the ballot. Politicians will have to appeal to voters of diverse political alignments, creating incentives to cooperate and build bridges.

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Center for Ballot Freedom @centerforballotfreedom.org · 11/09/2026

One of Didi Kuo’s central premises is that vital political parties are essential to a functioning democracy. She doesn’t pull punches, arguing that despite their outward appearance of strength, our major political parties have neglected essential functions. Read more: substack.com/home/post/p-...

substack.com

Podcast: Why We Need More Robust Political Parties, With Didi Kuo

The latest episode of “This Old Democracy” with host Micah Sifry and political scientist Didi Kuo, author of “The Great Retreat: How Political Parties Should Behave and Why They Don’t,” dives deep…

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Center for Ballot Freedom @centerforballotfreedom.org · 11/09/2026

We don't have any viable third parties nationally. Why? The answer lies in our voting system. Fusion voting fixes this issue by allowing candidates to be nominated by multiple parties.

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Center for Ballot Freedom @centerforballotfreedom.org · 10/09/2026

Micah Sifry interviews one of the members of the ABA Task Force, Tom Rogers. Rogers is an unusual businessman – very successful in the media business but also deeply invested in structural reform of both the media landscape and the electoral system. Read more: substack.com/home/post/p-...

substack.com

Podcast: Inside the Landmark ABA Report on Democracy with Tom Rogers

If you haven’t read the report of the ABA Task Force on American Democracy, you should.

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Center for Ballot Freedom @centerforballotfreedom.org · 10/09/2026

Do you feel disenchanted by politics today? Well, you're not alone! Fusion voting gives voters a wide range of options to accurately reflect their beliefs.

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Center for Ballot Freedom @centerforballotfreedom.org · 09/09/2026

The conversation with Micah Sifry & Jennifer McCoy covers a lot of ground: what’s really wrong with American democracy right now, what happened in Hungary, and whether structural reforms like proportional representation and fusion voting could help dig us out. Read more: substack.com/home/post/p-...

substack.com

Podcast: Pernicious Polarization, Hungary's Lessons, and the Case for Proportional Representation, With Jennifer McCoy

The latest episode of This Old Democracy features Jennifer McCoy, a non-resident scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and political science professor at Georgia State University.

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Center for Ballot Freedom @centerforballotfreedom.org · 09/09/2026

Americans disapprove of Congress more than ever. Wonder why they can't get stuff done? The answer is simple: our voting system. And fusion voting is the solution.

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Center for Ballot Freedom @centerforballotfreedom.org · 08/09/2026

In Timmons v. Twin Cities Area New Party, the Court upheld anti-fusion laws in the name of political stability. Now, we have record polarization, legislative gridlock, and declining trust in institutions. The two-party-stability rationale hasn’t held up. It’s time to give fusion voting another look.

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Center for Ballot Freedom @centerforballotfreedom.org · 08/09/2026

Wisconsin’s fusion voting ban wasn’t enacted to protect voters—it was enacted to protect those already in power. More than a century later, the result is less competition, fewer meaningful choices, and a political system dominated by two parties. @madison.com madison.com/opinion/colu...

madison.com

How fusion voting would change Wisconsin elections | David F. Gundersen

The Democrats just finished an exciting but decidedly uncomfortable primary for Wisconsin governor. With no incumbent, this was a chance for the party to decide it’s future, to truly define

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Reposted by Center for Ballot Freedom

Andy Craig @andycraig.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

This is the American Labor Party, not the Democrats, because of fusion voting in New York. As today with the Working Families Party, fusion allowed a party to exert influence and demonstrate support without being a spoiler. The American Labor ballot line that put FDR over the top in New York in 1940

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Center for Ballot Freedom @centerforballotfreedom.org · 07/09/2026

Fusion voting gives minor parties a meaningful role in federal elections by allowing cross-nomination & coalition-building. Fusion ensures that voters and smaller parties can still have a voice—and real influence—in those races. @leedrutman.bsky.social @newamerica.org @politicalreform.newamerica.org

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Center for Ballot Freedom @centerforballotfreedom.org · 07/09/2026

Happy Labor Day! 🇺🇸 Today we celebrate the workers, organizers, and community members who help keep our country running. It's also a reminder that strong communities depend on people having a voice and a seat at the table. 🌟 Enjoy the long weekend and thank the workers who make it all possible.

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Center for Ballot Freedom @centerforballotfreedom.org · 04/09/2026

ProRep and fusion voting are complementary reforms. PR creates multiparty legislatures where more voices can be represented, while fusion keeps parties viable in the single-winner elections that remain. Together, they create a system where more parties can compete, build support, and form coalitions

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Center for Ballot Freedom @centerforballotfreedom.org · 04/09/2026

People love to say they hate political parties—and then wonder why we're stuck in a two-party doom loop. Fusion voting offers a different path: let voters support the candidate they prefer and the party that best represents their values. @jamellebouie.net @nytopinion.nytimes.com

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Center for Ballot Freedom @centerforballotfreedom.org · 03/09/2026

Protect Democracy's Ian Bassin lays out both the dire challenges facing American democracy and the pathways forward. He paints a picture of an authoritarian movement following a predictable playbook—but also outlines how resistance efforts can show results. substack.com/home/post/p-...

substack.com

Podcast with Ian Bassin: How Does Protect Democracy Counter the Authoritarian Playbook?

A great new episode This Old Democracy presents a sobering yet ultimately hopeful conversation Micah Sifry’s guest is Ian Bassin, the executive director of Protect Democracy.

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Center for Ballot Freedom @centerforballotfreedom.org · 02/09/2026

Fusion voting for single-winner elections perfectly complements proportional representation for multi-winner elections. PR helps create a multiparty legislature; fusion helps those parties build power & influence where only one candidate can win. Re-legalizing fusion voting is a critical step toward

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Center for Ballot Freedom @centerforballotfreedom.org · 02/09/2026

Fusion voting helps solve two problems at once: it reduces the spoiler effect & makes it easier for new parties to grow. Voters can support their preferred party without helping elect their least-preferred candidate, while smaller parties can build influence instead of being dismissed as spoilers.

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Center for Ballot Freedom @centerforballotfreedom.org · 01/09/2026

America is facing a crisis of polarization, gridlock, and declining trust in our institutions. Fusion voting isn’t a cure-all, but it offers a way to reduce zero-sum politics, encourage coalition-building, and give voters more meaningful choices at the ballot box.

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