Protect Democracy
I will introduce legislation to renew the Voting Rights Act and ban racial gerrymandering.
I will push for independent citizen commissions to draw congressional maps nationwide.
I support ranked-choice voting, proportional representation, and expanding the Supreme Court to thirteen justices.
Why this matters
I've worked on the front lines against attacks on democracy. I know how to use science to defend against gerrymandering, rule by extreme factions, and attacks on voting rights. I will do in Washington what I've done for years: work to build a better democracy. But in the House of Representatives, I'll do it from the inside.
I've dedicated over a decade to understanding inequities in voter power. I founded the Princeton Gerrymandering Project, which developed statistical methods to detect partisan manipulation of electoral maps. I've worked directly in North Carolina, Michigan, and New Jersey to bring about fairer maps. And right here in New Jersey, my expert testimony helped end the "county line" ballot system, which gave party-backed candidates a 30-point advantage and locked out newcomers. This June's primary will be the fairest in state history, and I helped make that happen.
When voting is difficult for some citizens, when state and local governments make it harder for some people to vote, that's an offense against voting rights. I will introduce legislation to renew the Voting Rights Act, defend against these attacks, and renew our nation's commitment to equal justice for all.
Gerrymandering plays an even greater role in attacking voting rights. Even if everyone voted, an aggressive gerrymander can have many times the effect of the worst voter suppression. I will introduce a ban on racial gerrymandering as part of the Voting Rights Act. To stop partisan gerrymandering, I will introduce legislation requiring independent citizen commissions to draw congressional maps. My team at Princeton has proven that these commissions have the best track record of producing fair lines.
In the long term, I will work not only to stop these offenses but to build a better system for all. I helped defend ranked-choice voting in Maine by persuading a Republican-appointed federal judge that this reform was constitutional. Through reforms like ranked-choice voting, proportional representation, and abolishing the Electoral College, we can have a system that gives equal voice to all citizens.
Finally, all these protections must withstand court challenges. The Supreme Court is in urgent need of reform. Expanding the Court will bring it into line with the broad views of the American people. The size of the Court is established by Congress. I will introduce legislation to expand it from nine justices to thirteen, matching the number of circuit courts, as was the practice for many years.
Learn more:
Sam on democracy reform: How Juries and Citizen Commissions Strengthen Democracy
Sam on New Jersey election reform: In New Jersey, will a shattered candidate field cause trouble in November?