American democracy can’t continue to use 20th century tools if it’s going to survive the 21st century

  • Yang to vote Yes on Ranked Choice Voting tomorrow
  • Campaign platform includes further proposals to improve democracy
  • Yang has received an A+ from Lawrence Lessig’s Equal Citizens group, focused on democracy reform

As New Yorkers head to the polls tomorrow, Andrew Yang plans to vote Yes on Ranked Choice Voting, a key component of his Democracy Reform policy proposals.

“Our institutions are failing us, and it’s leading to the dissolution of communal bonds. This must change, or the country will continue to crumble,” said Andrew Yang. “As President, I will prioritize changing the way our government works. There are historical periods of bipartisanship that we can learn from. We can also learn from states that have undertaken structural reforms – such as ranked-choice voting – intended to help government better serve the people. If we’re bold enough to consider and adapt even a fraction of these changes, we can take a significant step in restoring trust in our federal government.”

Yang has long advocated for Ranked Choice Voting, which allows voters to fully state their preferences by ranking their favorite candidates. Voters don’t have to pick “the lesser of two evils.” They can express their opinion on all the candidates on the ballot.

An additional highlight from his Democracy Reform policy is Yang’s proposal for Democracy Dollars, which would give every voter a voucher to spend on their favorite candidates. Right now, wealthy people and corporations disproportionately fund campaigns. Democracy Dollars would empower voters by giving them $100 each to disburse among the candidates of their choosing. This would have the effect of increasing voter engagement, assisting grassroots candidates, and forcing politicians to be accountable to the people.

Yang also advocates for automatic voter registration, lowering the voting age to 16, restoring the voting rights of ex-felons and making Election Day a holiday. He would prioritize implementing nonpartisan redistricting, and supports a constitutional amendment to limit campaign donations, as well as reforms to the FEC to aid enforcement of campaign finance law.