Beyond the Two Party System - Electoral Reforms That Can Make a Difference

As one of the only two-nations in the world lacking uniform ballot access standards for candidates and parties seeking nationally elected office, the U.S. ballot access restrictions are not only among the world's most disparate, but also among its most restrictive. Correspondingly, to the extent that alternatives running outside the two major parties are able to gain access to election ballots, they tend to remain strongly disadvantaged by the U.S.'s plurality voting system, while being customarily excluded from most election media coverage and election debates. In response to such widespread impediments to meaningful electoral participation, a number of grassroots movements and coalitions for participatory election reform have been slowly but steadily growing over the past decade. In support of such efforts, this workshop will strive to provide an in-depth investigation into key reform measures that can significantly help level the playing-field for alternative political voices. Through the active input of participants, this workshop will then aim to develop a set of key areas for strategic focus that all participants can bring back to focus-related grassroots organizations and networks in their locales.