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Fix Democracy First hosts a weekly Democracy Happy Hour on Wednesdays @ 5-6:30pm PT. Grab a drink and join us and learn about the latest democracy efforts, challenges, solutions, as well upcoming events and actions.

This is a recurring event. You only have to register once. Register here.

Why Democracy is Either Expanding or Shrinking: Examples of the Ongoing Changes to Sustain our Republic

With Rob Richie, President & Founder of Expand Democracy and Eveline Dowling, Senior Fellow and Research Analyst.

• Speaker View Recording: https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/play/gycB5Y97SZKAjFSEpH6VjPevtNyPmbX-NV80C2p0gmEg8YYEkiHyBaQiIwamp198n5L66XmKjJO1txop.wIjqdrSBLgUP-PVJ
• Gallery View Recording: https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/play/E8B9dKJ1RRSFzvexxFyJSQwYFL516uPp2LSgkJYAGmp7Udtt8FtVWGDt2GLDG-JWb3mCCtevVE6ljfoK.iLhAU0RvFz76bbsy
• Chat file (will download directly to your computer): https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/sdownload/z5YktutTZRspR6f6U6zI_OLSPDlCRa_RUY-h89tRoJaPfjpe74BIuUGhEdr5QAUb9fpnB0hoEaHIrmEM.p7yXVHssjZIYPs3y
• Closed Caption file (will download directly to your computer): https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/sdownload/RGUjftfz4Ozrkr02nHpx5cM4QWaFbls_I0Dx3pJ1A7HA8bYYbfO0AgDxZrvgGgKQLOAzIFoAAAkL6IKM.1LxPb6_yQju2Kbu5

Meeting resources

• Expand Democracy - https://expanddemocracy.org/
• Reform Areas - https://expanddemocracy.org/reform-areas
• External Resources - https://expanddemocracy.org/external-resources
• Expand Democracy Substack - https://expanddem.substack.com/
• The Democracy Lab Podcast - https://open.spotify.com/show/67qS2fmLZpplJiKkXp606S
• Does ranked choice Voting Increase voter turnout and mobilization? - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S026137942400074X?via%3Dihub
• Is Ranked-Choice Voting Associated With Turnout Across Race/Ethnic Groups? - https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ssqu.70025
• What We Know About Ranked Choice Voting, Updated for 2025 - https://www.americanbar.org/groups/public_interest/election_law/american-democracy/our-work/what-we-know-about-ranked-choice-voting-2025/

FDF Links

• Fix Democracy First - https://www.fixdemocracyfirst.org/
• Donate to Fix Democracy First here: https://www.fixdemocracyfirst.org/donate

Join Fix Democracy First Boards

• Fix Democracy First Education Fund (501c3) Board Application: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfXiaGJJ0bVqV5eqW2irfLHWrU0n8iwVIsDwDjtrTP36mEj5g/viewform
• Fix Democracy First (501c4) Board Application: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdtDKKTBsOo7X_nk-7POVUTpJ-K1vfP-U_zHQrW1Ke7JNfvug/viewform

Stand Up for Democracy! Fix Democracy First Awards Dinner & Celebration

• Seattle – Oct 25^th@ 5 pm – Get your tickets here: https://fixdemocracyfirst.salsalabs.org/awards-dinner-2025
• Enter to win TWO FREE Tickets to Awards Dinner 2025 here: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/fix-democracy-first-raffle-for-free-tickets-to-awards-dinner--2025

Democracy Happy Hour Upcoming Topics/Schedule

• Nov 19 – Respect Missouri Voters with Benjamin Singer, Co-Founder & Campaign Director
• Nov 26 – NO Democracy Happy Hour – Happy Thanksgiving!
• Dec 03 –  Majority Rules 101: Introduction to Electoral Reform, Film & Discussion
• Dec 10 –  Veterans for All Voters with Alberto Ramos, CEO
• Dec 17 – Chambers of Compassion vs. Chambers of Commerce: Organizing our Diverse Compassions Systemically with Moji Agha
• Dec 24 & ‍ – NO Democracy Happy Hours - Happy Holidays!

Actions and events

Actions

• Decline to Sign Initiative Measure IL26-126 – This would require all voters to have an enhanced drivers’ license or provide documentary proof of U.S. citizenship in person. Voters who fail to do so would see their registration canceled. - https://lwvwa.org/IL26-126
• Impeach Trump. Again. https://www.impeachtrumpagain.org/.  Sign the Petition: https://www.impeachtrumpagain.org/#action
• NO Kings Alliance: The Rapid Response Arm of the Movement - https://www.nokings.org/alliance
• Petition, Stand Up for Justice!  https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/stand-up-for-justice/

Democracy in the News

Resources

• The Anti-Corruption Tracker: Mapping the Erosion of Oversight and Accountability - https://www.justsecurity.org/117267/anti-corruption-tracker/
• Democracy 2025 – Democracy 2025 is the strategic hub to protect people and their rights should the Trump-Vance administration seek to unlawfully strip away freedoms and prosperity. -  https://www.democracy2025.org/
• How You Can Protect Democracy - 29 concrete actions you can take right now to protect democracy - https://protectdemocracy.org/how-to-protect-democracy
• State of Emergency - Democracy, Civil Rights & Progress Under Attack  - https://stateofblackamerica.org/sites/default/files/2025-07/NUL-SOBA-Executive%20Summary-2025-web%20%281%29%20%281%29.pdf
• The People's Hub For Grassroots Democracy Organizing  - https://www.usgrassroots.org/
• Timeline of the Trump Administration’s Efforts to Undermine Elections - https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/timeline-trump-administrations-efforts-undermine-elections
• Timeline: Tracking the Trump Justice Department’s Anti-Voting Shift - https://www.democracydocket.com/timeline-tracking-the-trump-justice-departments-anti-voting-shift/
• Tracking the Lawsuits Against Trump’s Agenda - https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/us/trump-administration-lawsuits.html
• Trump’s Take - https://www.americanprogress.org/feature/trumps-take/

November

November 05

• Kansas Republicans fail to get enough support to gerrymander congressional maps - https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2025/11/05/gop-fails-to-foce-special-session-on-kansas-redistricting/

November 06

• After California's vote to counter Trump, here's where redistricting stands - https://www.npr.org/2025/11/06/nx-s1-5599558/states-redistricting-house-2026-midterm-elections
• 'Anti-dark money' ballot initiative group sues Montana Attorney General over recent ruling - https://www.easternprogress.com/anti-dark-money-ballot-initiative-group-sues-montana-attorney-general-over-recent-ruling/article_620f3159-20e2-57e6-b219-95fd318041e7.html
• Arizona Court Rejects Election-Denial Lawsuit, Upholds Trust in State’s Voting System - https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/arizona-court-rejects-election-denial-lawsuit-upholds-trust-in-states-voting-system/
• Codifying the Constitution’s Emoluments Clauses - https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/policy-solutions/codifying-constitutions-emoluments-clauses
• Judge Orders Trump Administration to Fully Fund Food Stamps This Month - https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/06/us/politics/snap-food-stamps-shutdown-trump.html
• Jury finds D.C. ‘sandwich guy’ not guilty of assaulting officer - https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2025/11/06/dc-sandwich-guy-trial-trump-federal-takeover
• Missouri anti-redistricting group says secretary of state wrote 'prejudiced' ballot language - https://www.kcur.org/politics-elections-and-government/2025-11-06/missouri-anti-redistricting-gerrymander-hoskins
• National Republicans gear up to fight referendum on Missouri congressional map - https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/national-republicans-gear-up-to-fight-referendum-on-missouri-congressional-map/
• Supreme Court sides with Trump administration on sex designations on passports - https://www.scotusblog.com/2025/11/supreme-court-sides-with-trump-administration-on-sex-designations-on-passports/

November 07

• Cornell agrees to pay $60 million in agreement with Trump administration - https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2025/11/07/cornell-university-deal-trump/
• Judge Permanently Blocks National Guard Deployments to Portland for ICE Protests - https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/07/us/politics/portland-oregon-national-guard.html
• Marylanders lobby Ferguson to shift his stance on congressional redistricting - https://marylandmatters.org/2025/11/07/marylanders-lobby-ferguson-to-shift-his-stance-on-congressional-redistricting/
• Special election tees up Virginia GOP opportunity to derail redistricting - https://www.wvtf.org/news/2025-11-07/special-election-tees-up-virginia-gop-opportunity-to-derail-redistricting

November 08

• Democrats swept elections far beyond the big races in referendum on Trump - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/11/08/democrats-local-election-sweep-trump
• How the Trump Administration Is Giving Even More Tax Breaks to the Wealthy - https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/08/business/trump-administration-tax-breaks-wealthy.html
• Lawsuit Blasts Trump’s Bid to Keep New Citizens From Registering to Vote - https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/uscis-nonprofit-voter-registration-naturalization-ceremony-ban-lawsuit/

November 09

• Federal Judge, Warning of ‘Existential Threat’ to Democracy, Resigns - https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/09/us/politics/mark-wolf-federal-judge-resigns.html
• Trump administration orders states to pause paying full SNAP benefits - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/11/09/snap-benefits-states-usda-trump

November 10

• Citizen-Led Ballot Initiatives Face Growing Restrictions From State Lawmakers - https://www.ncsl.org/state-legislatures-news/details/citizen-led-ballot-initiatives-face-growing-restrictions-from-state-lawmakers
• In a Win for Voters, Wisconsin Judge Withdraws Anti-Voting Order on Proof of Citizenship - https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/in-win-for-voters-wisconsin-judge-withdraws-anti-voting-order-on-proof-of-citizenship/
• Senate approves bill to end the shutdown, sending it to the House - https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-update-80ef7cada7b3c0559aca38886efd8f90
• Supreme Court to Hear Major Challenge to Mail-In Ballot Laws - https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/10/us/politics/supreme-court-mail-ballots-mississippi.html
• Supreme Court won’t hear challenge to landmark gay marriage ruling - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/11/10/supreme-court-same-sex-marriage
• Trump Asks Supreme Court to Overturn Verdict in E. Jean Carroll Case - https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/10/us/politics/trump-supreme-court-e-jean-carroll.html
• Trump grants pardons to Giuliani, Meadows, others linked to 2020 election efforts - https://www.npr.org/2025/11/10/nx-s1-5604174/trump-pardons-2020-election

November 11

• Jolt Initiative hits back at Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in fight over voter registration - https://www.votebeat.org/texas/2025/11/11/jolt-initiative-sues-attorney-general-ken-paxton-voter-registration-drive/
• Judge adopts Utah congressional map that creates a Democrat-leaning district for 2026 - https://www.cnn.com/2025/11/11/politics/redistricting-utah-judge-democrat-leaning-district-hnk
• Shutdown leaves a mark on an already-struggling economy, from lost paychecks to canceled flights - https://apnews.com/article/economy-impact-shutdown-snap-flights-trump-826406b1083b262cad78338bc99f103b
• Supreme Court extends pause on order requiring full SNAP payments - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/11/11/supreme-court-snap-shutdown-trump

November 12

• House to vote on reopening government after 7-week recess - https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/11/12/government-shutdown-vote-end

Good News Websites

• ABC Good News - https://abcnews.go.com/alerts/good-news
• Daily Good - https://www.dailygood.org/
• Democracy's Good News - https://www.democracygroup.org/topics/democracys-good-news
• Good News Network - https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/
• Politics & Government Good News - https://www.goodgoodgood.co/impact/democracy
• Sunny Skyz - https://www.sunnyskyz.com/good-news
• The Happy News - https://thehappynewspaper.com/

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