Program for April 24, 2024 – Open Democracy, NH

Open Democracy: Strengthening Voter Participation

Our speaker were Oliva Zink, Executive Director of Open Democracy and Linda Bundy, the volunteer secretary for Open Democracy

— Olivia Zink has been the Executive Director of Open Democracy since 2016 and served as the Program Director for Open Democracy since 2009.  She has worked on a broad range of campaigns. Olivia also spent a year in Bolivia working with the Democracy Center.  In 2008, she was named one of New Hampshire’s “40 under 40,” by the NH Union Leader. She is a graduate of the University of New Hampshire with a degree in Political Science and a minor in Sustainable Living, and a graduate of Southern New Hampshire University with a master’s degree in Community Economic Development

Olivia Zink

— Linda Bundy is a retired educator who worked for twelve years as a paraprofessional with students ranging from preschool to eighth grade. She then returned to college to earn certification in elementary and special education, and taught for sixteen years at Great Brook School in Antrim. For the first few years of retirement she was fortunate to have the time to be able to help elderly family members who needed assistance. After that, when considering the next chapter in her life, she felt that it was imperative to participate in actions striving to counteract those who are working to manipulate democracy to advantage the few at the expense of the majority of our citizens. One of Linda’s mentors during her educational career said that good special education is simply good education, and it benefits all students. Similarly, real democracy is a system of government that operates for all of its people. Volunteering with Open Democracy Action provides her with ways to work toward making our democracy function as it should.

Linda Bundy

Oliva began the presentation by talking about the relationship between Rotary’s 4-Way Test, and how it relates to Open Democracy’s mission.

Open Democracy is a nonpartisan 501(c)(3) organization founded in 1997 by campaign finance reform activists. Our mission is an equal voice for all, achieved by reducing the influence of money in politics, protecting the freedom to vote, and ensuring fair redistricting.

The outcome of the Supreme Court decision in Citizens United v. FEC (2010) brought more imbalance to our political system, given a bigger voice to wealthy special interests, and eroded our campaign finance laws.

The Citizens United decision granted corporations and unions the right to spend unlimited money in elections. As a result, special interest groups across the partisan divide have invested billions of dollars to shape the national debate and determine who gets elected to public office.

One outcome of the Citizens United decision is that our public officials must focus their attention on the task of raising money–and the needs of the wealthy few who fund campaigns–rather than serving the needs of everyday voters. Meanwhile, the majority of American citizens are effectively excluded from politics because they cannot afford to fund campaigns or seek elected office, and tens of millions more face outright disenfranchisement at the polls.

Open Democracy’s goals for reform to achieve political equality for all:

1. Establish small donor, voter-owned honest elections

2. End gerrymandering and modernizing voting

3. Eradicate Super PACs & neutralize Citizens United

4. Expose unlimited, anonymous Secret Money

5. Eliminate Pay-to-Play lobbyist & contractor donations

6. Enforce campaign finance laws & close loopholes

Read more by clicking here

What’s Happening at the NH State House?

Olivia and Linda shared that this year election law has seen over 100 bills

Many of these impacting your freedom to vote with a major focus in three key areas:

For Example, SB213

This bill amends the absentee voting process in New Hampshire by establishing a new standard for absentee ballot eligibility, which now requires that it is “more likely than not” that a voter will be absent on election day. It introduces stricter requirements for voters applying for an absentee ballot, mandating proof of identity, citizenship, age, and domicile. The application form for absentee ballots has been modified to clarify the voter’s registration status and eligibility criteria, replacing previous language that allowed for a simple declaration of absence. The bill also includes a provision that makes it a misdemeanor for anyone to vote or attempt to vote using an absentee ballot without proper entitlement.

Additionally, the bill revises the absentee registration affidavit process, particularly for first-time voters and individuals with physical disabilities. It requires the affidavit to include a declaration of U.S. citizenship and mandates documentation such as a birth certificate, U.S. passport, or naturalization papers, along with a valid photo ID and proof of residence. The language regarding the applicant’s presence on election day has been changed to reflect the new standard of “it is more likely than not that I will not.” Furthermore, a witness affirmation signed by a Notary Public or Justice of the Peace is now required to confirm the applicant’s identity. The act is set to take effect 60 days after its passage, aiming to enhance the integrity of the absentee voting process while accommodating individuals with disabilities and first-time voters

SB287

This bill requires applicants for absentee ballots to present a copy of their photo identification with their application.

They reminded us that we need to build relationships with our legislators and have conversations in person.  If we agree with the position our legislators is taking, they should be thanked. You can also ask them what types of communication are of help when the are working to “reach across the aisle.”

They spent time talking about high school voter registration drives.

Less than 16% of eligible 18-year-olds are registered to vote in New Hampshire. That number falls well short of the 80% registration rate for voters aged 35+. As New Hampshire citizens, Open Democracy take pride in being a civically-engaged society! Look no further than our First in the Nation Presidential Primary! We need to do a better job in encouraging future generations to take part in the electoral process and this is the first step to achieving this goal.

They shared voter districts in NH. The maps highlight the impact of gerrymandering. The currently the maps have been drawn to clustering voters to by party affiliation thus decreasing the chance of assuring that all voices will be heard in the Executive Council and in the legislature.

They talked about the importance of engaging our 18 year-olds to register to vote.  Open Democracy would love to hold High School Voter Registration Drives all over the Granite State.  Lebanon Rotary could consider holding drive at LHS and MVRHS. To do this, we can follow our free New Hampshire Run A Drive Toolkit. This has all the information we would need for a drive. To ensure that a drive is a success, follow the best practices and tips! This is a process that can be implemented on a year-to-year basis to generate a larger impact in your communities.

They ended with this call to action: