When the tide turns and power shifts, how do we strengthen our democracy? How do we prevent another authoritarian takeover, and make our democracy more representative?
Below you’ll find one answer. First, though, let’s look at some of the problems we have here in Massachusetts. Did you know that 65% of commonwealth voters don’t belong to a political party, which means they can’t vote in primaries unless they register, and a lot don’t? Or that for the past 10 years, more than half of our elections have had only one nominee, which ranks us last in the country? Two situations that turn lots of people off to voting.
And, did you know we’re the only state where all three government branches are exempt from providing access to public records? Meanwhile, did you know that the House Speaker and Senate President have sole discretion to dole out “stipends,” or bonuses, which they use to reward or punish legislators?
In other words, we’ve got some problems with democracy right here at home.
The good news: On April 11 you can learn a lot about ballot initiatives that address these flaws, initiatives you can vote on in November.
On Saturday April 11, from 1 to 3 p.m., there will be a democracy forum at Edwards Church. We’re calling it “Reimagining Democracy — An Open Conversation.” A panel of thought leaders and activists will talk about four ballot initiatives that address government transparency, stipend reform, open primaries and same-day voter registration. The keynote panelist, Danielle Allen, is a prominent leader in the movement to reimagine democracy, and the other two panelists, Jesse Littlewood and John Griffin, also bring a lot of knowledge about democracy’s problems and how to fix them. There will be lots of time for Q&A.
If the forces attacking democracy lose dominance — and there are good reasons to think they will — we have to be ready to rejuvenate our governance, or it will continue to be vulnerable. We hope you come and ask probing, thoughtful questions. The event is free. To RSVP, enter “MA Democracy 2026 Forum Action Network” into your browser.
David Roitman
Florence