Don’t Be Fooled!
Initiative 83 will suppress the vote of marginalized populations and reverse the gender and
racial make-up of DC elected officials.
Vote NO on Initiative 83
What is Initiative 83?
If Initiative 83 is successful it would change the way elections are held in the District. It would allow for Ranked Choice Voting also known as Instant Runoffs and it would allow for semi-closed primaries. In other words, it would allow for Independent voters to vote in the Primary elections.
Why Vote NO?
Reasons to Vote NO on Ranked Choice Voting (RCV)
RCV research shows that when asked to rank three candidates the ability to accurately do so was lowest among African Americans, Hispanics, and those whose first language is not English. RCV suppresses and eliminates the counting of black and brown votes.
It has been shown that RCV suppresses the votes of seniors and those with disabilities. RCV studies show that seniors and persons with disabilities are more likely to have their ballots discarded due to undervoting and over-voting.
RCV and semi-closed primaries are an attempt to reverse the gender and racial make-up of DC elected officials by outside organizations pushing an agenda to overturn and eliminate our voting power.
RCV is voter suppression. The goal is to make it harder for certain populations in DC to be able to vote and to have their vote fully counted by making the voting process overly complex and easily prone to errors.
Reasons to Vote NO on Semi-Closed Primaries (Allow Independents to Vote in Primary Elections)
It is a direct attempt to meddle in nomination elections by letting nonpartisan voters influence the outcomes of the primary elections. It is not disenfranchisement of Independent voters. It is the freedom of association of all voters.
It will set DC Statehood efforts back by decades because it is in violation of the DC Home Rule Act which allows us to pick how our electoral system works and protects our political autonomy.
More Reasons to Vote NO on Initiative 83
It undermines the belief that grassroots donors, not corporate interests, should have influence in elections. The supporters of Initiative 83 are backed by external corporate interests, PACs, and donors from outside the District. 82% of the proponents’ donors are out of state special interest PACs and corporations.
It contradicts your commitment to DC Statehood efforts and your understanding that DC Statehood is a matter of racial justice. Any attack on Home Rule is an attack on the fight for DC Statehood.
Don’t Be Fooled!
Don’t be fooled by special interest groups. Make no mistake that Initiative 83 and Semi-closed primaries are blatant attacks by outside money in an attempt to push a national agenda of voter suppression to reshape who our elected officials are and what they look like.
Closed primaries provide a safeguard against potential interference from individuals who do not share the Democratic party's values.
We cannot allow the proponents of I83 to convince us that the only solution is flawed election reform. Stand up to them using everything you've learned here today.
Sign our Change.org Petition. Share with your neighbors and friends!
Protect Democracy
Help us to power the movement to protect the Democrat’s vote. 100% of your donation goes to making sure this ballot Initiative is not successful. We need your help.