The Expanding Democracy Agenda
The Best Way to Protect Our Democracy is to Expand It
Our country was founded on a dream of freedom, which has yet to come true for all of us. Today, certain politicians try to pick their voters and create barriers for others. But we know that in America, we choose our leaders, not the other way around. We need to ensure we have a democracy where all people have a say in the decisions that impact their lives.
We can do that by fighting for meaningful change that brings more people into the democratic process and reduces the barriers that too many people face. Policies that bring more people into the democratic process and reduce the influence of corporate money in politics can put our democracy where it belongs: with us.
Our Expanding Democracy Agenda is a set of policies developed by and for the people. We brought them to the Capitol in St. Paul in 2023 and it was a historic session for democracy, as we passed the most impactful pro-voter reforms the state has seen in almost 50 years.
This year, we’re back with a new set of priorities for our democracy, including:
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Large corporations and wealthy special interests have an outsize voice in our elections, but it doesn’t have to be that way. A small donor match program is a powerful policy to make sure Minnesotans are at the center of our democracy.
In 2022, small donors were responsible for 40% of state house and senate race campaign contributions. With this program, small donors would account for 70% of all money spent, making them the most powerful voice in our state.
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While the U.S. Supreme Court slowly dismantles the protections offered to voters of color in the Voting Rights Act, it’s up to states to respond and make sure we protect our democracy for all Minnesotans.
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Every voter in Minnesota deserves a chance to access the ballot and make sure their voice is heard. In 2024, we’re advocating for several policies to improve voter access.
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Our partners are leading on a number of key pro-democracy policies this session, including redistricting reform, ranked choice voting local option, modernization of the PCR and the We the People Amendment.