Webinar recap: Majority Rules Film Discussion
Last week, FairVote, RepresentWomen, and Veterans for All Voters co-hosted a special webinar discussion about the new feature-length documentary, “Majority Rules.” The webinar was moderated by FairVote President & CEO Meredith Sumpter, and featured “Majority Rules” director AJ Schnack, Alaska Senate Majority Leader Cathy Giessel, and RepresentWomen Executive Director Cynthia Richie Terrell.
During their conversation, the panelists discussed the film, how it demonstrated the power and success of open primaries and ranked choice voting (RCV) in Alaska, and what the future holds for these reforms if several states vote to adopt them at the ballot this November.
AJ Schnack is an independent filmmaker who wrote and directed “Majority Rules.” He has an extensive filmography that includes other documentaries like “We Always Lie to Strangers,” “Kurt Cobain: About a Son,” and “Long Gone Summer,” which he directed for ESPN’s “30 for 30.”
Schnack started the discussion by explaining what drew him to make the film and how he came to see open primaries and RCV as a key part of the solution to our polarized politics:
When I first heard about what was happening in Alaska, I think I was like, ‘Well, is this just somebody’s way of pulling one over? Is this something that could really matter?’… And then it became pretty clear that around these reforms – around open primaries, all-candidate ballots, ranked choice voting, top four, top five – depending on where you are, you have something that is happening right now that could really change how we vote and how we elect our leaders and how our politics functions.
Next, Sen. Giessel (R) illustrated the impact these reforms have had on the ground by sharing how they changed how she campaigned for office. Rather than reaching out to only Republican voters, open primaries and RCV encouraged Sen. Giessel to reach out to a broader range of voters:
So, probably the best example is a door that I knocked on. A man opened the door, and before I could even speak… he immediately said to me, ‘You’ve knocked on the wrong door. I’m a Democrat’… I just smiled and said, ‘Oh, no, sir. You’re the person I really want to talk to’… And I said to him, ‘I totally respect that you want to vote for the Democrat, absolutely. I honor that, but you get a second choice, a second preference in this ranked choice voting. And I would be honored if I could be your second choice.
RepresentWomen Executive Director Cynthia Richie Terrell explained how these reforms have empowered women leaders, both in Alaska and across the country:
For women in particular over the years, because of our plurality voting system, women and other frequently [underrepresented] kinds of candidates have been told to wait their turn… One of the real advantages of rank choice voting, again that we see from the East Coast to the West Coast and everywhere in between, is that multiple women can run for office, and do so without splitting the vote.
To wrap up the discussion, Richie Terrell talked about the four states (plus the District of Columbia) where RCV could be adopted by voters this November, and shared what it would mean for the future of voting reform if RCV wins in all five jurisdictions:
I think it really will convey that we, the People, have the power to update and upgrade our democracy… I think it sets the stage for a much more virtuous cycle, instead of a vicious cycle that we’re in now. A virtuous cycle of good candidates running, being rewarded for good behavior, voters feeling engaged and excited and turning out in higher numbers, different kinds of candidates getting elected.
We highly recommend checking out the full discussion here! Also, be sure to learn more about “Majority Rules” here and see where you can catch the next screening.
We want to thank AJ, Richie Terrell, and Sen. Giessel for joining us for this discussion, and we want to thank RepresentWomen and Veterans for All Voters for co-hosting this webinar with us.
