Only 26 states allow direct-to-ballot voter-led initiatives. The rest require the legislature to initiate them.
this post was submitted on 23 May 2025
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Only 26 states
So, more than half?
Yes, but it's technically 26 that support them at all. Two of those only allow a ballot veto initiative. Three only allow constitutional amendments (and I just learned that in one of those three, MS, has adjudicated that the requirements are not possible to reach). So only 21 states allow voters to legislate by direct ballot initiative.
https://ballotpedia.org/States_with_initiative_or_referendum
And guess what the venn diagram of states that don't have them vs those with a shitty unrepresentative legislature (ie the states that need them in order to pass the kinds of things Sanders and AOC are advocating) looks like.
Ballot initiatives for electoral reform in enough states to make third parties viable at the federal level is, in my opinion, less likely than turning the Democratic party through high primary voter turnout. If your state supports them, absolutely take advantage. But if not then you need to both keep fighting to move the needle in the primary while voting in all elections for all levels, and fighting your state legislature for ballot initiatives (and ranked choice/approval voting).
Its time for a serious effort at a third party. The DNC as an institution isn't a serious political party in that they aren't willing to do what it takes to win elections, can't be relied upon when it matters to do the right thing, and are fundamentally tied to a billionaire donor system that in no way supports winning elections. The primary purpose of the DNC infrastructure is the enrichment of an entrenched professional managerial class whose goal has always been the continuance of BAU politics, even if the marketing is "hope and change".
Its not just the deep cynicism and lack of seriousness with which the Democrats as a party structure approach politics: its also that they are bad at the game. They are not effective at winning elections; they are not effective at stopping the expansion of fascist ideology: and there was no reason to ever have lost this much ground in either domain. Its a direct consequence of a misalignment between the managers of the DNC and the voters they need to rely upon to get into office. 2026 is a lost election if you intend to approach it relying upon the DNC for the strategies and tactics necessary to win. Likewise with 2028. As an election, 2024 showed that the DNC is neither interested in, or committed to doing what it takes to beat fascism. If it interrupts the apple cart of billionaires controlling the strings of the parties politics, they'll take the L on your behalf.
2024 isn't even the most telling example of this. We never needed to be on our heels regarding fascism. The rat fucking of the progressive movement from 2016; the refusal to address or even acknowledge the real pain and criticisms people have of the modern state of American democracy: the failure to do so is why the grievance politics of fascism were able to take hold. Creating an alternative pathway for this energy vacuums out the heat which is empowering the current steam rolling towards fascism. The DNC supercharged the energy going into fascism with their continuous refusal to respond to the real pain caused by an out of control illiberal state. If the DNC would have embraced the progressive movement instead of continuously trying to sabotage it, fascism would never have been able to gather the steam necessary to take control because their grievance narrative. The DNC's refusal to internalize and support progressives within the party played directly into Russia's goal of converting the US into a fascist state.
A third party doesn't even need to necessarily be able to win a national election; it can be sufficient if it forces the DNC into having to adopt more popular, more socialist, more democratic policies.
A third party doesn't even need to necessarily be able to win a national election; it can be sufficient if it forces the DNC into having to adopt more popular, more socialist, more democratic policies.
This will never happen. You cannot -force- the DNC with pressure from the outside. And third parties will never win. The only way to succeed here is to grassroots take over the DNC from the bottom up by primarying and winning all local and state offices and working your way up to the top.
The only problem is you have to fight against the moneyed interests and win.
This is demonstrably false. The DNC has responded to outside pressure, and even when it isn't being advocated for. For example, their rightwing pivots on trans rights and the border, not because anyone inside the party was advocating for it, but because of advocacy from the right and from the RNC.
The progressive movement was quite litterally and attempt at a party takeover form within: and it failed. It failed because, and we have a supreme court judgement handed down on the matter, the DNC is a private club and they have no obligation follow a democratic process, or even their own rules for that matter. An almost 10 years attempt was made to get the DNC to change from within. It failed. It's time to move on.
A third party forces the Democrats into a leveraged position, even if it only holds 5-10% of the votes. It doesn't even need a candidate on the ballot, because it forces the other candidates to become responsive to the third parties platform. This helps Democrats because it can move them from unviable, unelectable positions, like the ones they took in 2024, towards viable, electable, popular positions like the ones Bernie and AOC are advocating for.
There is no winning the fight within the DNC as they've shown they're more than willing to self sabotage and lose elections rather than give over control of the party.
The longer we wait to begin, the longer the spiral out of control goes for.
There is no winning the fight within the DNC as they've shown they're more than willing to self sabotage and lose elections rather than give over control of the party.
If they're willing to lose elections to avoid changes from pressure within, what makes you think pressure from the outside will change them?
Your claim that they have bowed to outside pressure is unconvincing and you haven't provided any evidence to support it.
The only thing that has effectively changed the policies of the DNC or the GOP is money from billionaires.
All I'm hearing from you is a kind of worthless cynicism that results in the action of "more of the same".
Maybe you should just keep it to yourself.
Or maybe you should run for office as a Democrat if you want to see your ideals realized.
The Democratic party has proven itself to be a waste of effort and time, and not just once. I've put more time, money, dials, postcards, door knocks, and far more into Democratic campaigns than I care to acknowledge. I've done mapping, data science, IT for campaigns. As a veteran, I've done direct out reach to campaigns soliciting endorsements from the organizations I've been associated with, and given them a platform to appeal to other veterans who are part of a coordinated volunteer network whose goal it is to get progressive policies into place. I've been on stage with names you would know and recognize, and advocated on their behalf to solicit both donations and votes.
Over, and over, and over again, its proven itself to be a party of spineless cynics (see above). There are some good candidates, but the party itself is a waste of time. As a project, the Democratic party is a failure.
Its time to put that effort elsewhere. The opinion of a worthless cynic is only worth responding to as a foil to demonstrate the inadequacy of that perspective.
The opinion of a worthless cynic is only worth responding to as a foil to demonstrate the inadequacy of that perspective.
From my perspective, the worthless cynic here is you. You've given up on changing the only party that will actually hold any power because changing it is "too hard". But fair enough, you have different experiences and perhaps give up easier than others.
Ah yes. The "I know you are but what am I" defense.
The only point in engaging with you is to put your cynicism and intellectual dishonesty on display, so I thank you for making it all the more apparent. You claim a cause, but effectively, are arguing for a BAU/ stay the course approach to change. I hope for all of our sake, yours keeps their opinions to themselves for the rest of time, as I advocated for previously.
I think what actually happened here is projection. You identified that you are a cynic and decided to try to apply the label preemptively to others. But it's okay. We all handle things differently. Yours is to give up and point fingers at others for your own shortcomings. Some of us will continue to fight though. Good luck.
Right back to the "I know you are, but what am I?" approach to politics.
Peewee Herman would be proud.
You claim that "giving up", when I'm literally the one advocating for action, while you are advocating for "doing nothing different". Then when I point out your disgusting cynicism, you claim that I'm the cynic.
Your approach is to give up because changing the DNC from the inside is too hard and you think you tried once so you're giving up.
My approach is to take the hard road but also the only road that leads to actual change and not throwing away my vote while fascists claim uncontested rule for the next three decades because Democrats hurt your fee fees by not making Bernie president that one time.
That's why you're a cynic. You've decided to flip the board and not play anymore because you didn't get your way like a petulant toddler throwing a temper tantrum instead of pulling up your big boy pants and primarying the old guard Democrats so we can actually get shit done. And no they aren't just going to roll over and let you take their power so you have to fight for it.
You are precisely why the Democrats have continuously gone backwards for a decade. Your rhetoric, your entire approach to politics: its why Democrats are a failed project. You are both the source and sink of the failure. You are why progressives need to leave the party. We'll have more power without the party, if you are going to be the way that you are. We'll have a better chance at moving Democrats without you in the room.
And I truly, and wholeheartedly, I appreciate you making it this obvious.
My approach is to take the hard road but also the road that leads to actual change and not throwing away my vote while fascists claim uncontested rule for the next three decades because Democrats hurt your fee fees by not making Bernie president that one time.
Bro you have no approach. You are just a clown with no agency, who needs the analgesic of "strategic voting" to wash their hands of the fact that they are part and parcel to why fascism has subsumed American politics.
Whatever you need to tell yourself to convince yourself you're not a cynic bud. Enjoy your delusions.
Why would I trouble myself with what a spoiler like you thinks?
This is just putting you on display.
K
Thank you for acknowledging how wrong you were. It shows growth on your part. It the future, just keep opinions like the ones you are sharing here to yourself.
Lol. Boy you look pathetic.
Pathetic is throwing an election because you couldn't find common cause with progressives. But again, I do want to thank you for at least recognizing that you need to do better. I appreciate that you'll be keeping your toxic perspective to yourself from now on.
Keep being cynical bud. Hopefully one day you'll feel something again and can take real action to solve problems. Blocking you now since I can only take so much second hand embarassment watching you squirm.
Hey no worries 😌 fam! I knew from the first response you gave you were operating in bad faith. Just needed the time to get you to put yourself on display, and you did so spectacularly.
The best bleach for the kind of toxicity you represent is sunlight, and there is no better way to do it, than to get you to do it yourself, which I was able to do here.
Everytime you do what you do, it gathers support to my cause, and you lose. If not for you letting the mask slip my task would be much harder. So like I said, I appreciate you and thank you🙏!
A third party forces the Democrats into a leveraged position, even if it only holds 5-10% of the votes. It doesn’t even need a candidate on the ballot, because it forces the other candidates to become responsive to the third parties platform. This helps Democrats because it can move them from unviable, unelectable positions, like the ones they took in 2024, towards viable, electable, popular positions like the ones Bernie and AOC are advocating for.
We've had third parties for decades and this hasn't happened yet. How do you propose succeeding at it this time? Bernie ran in the Democratic Primary in his first run for Senate. He won it. He turned it down and ran as an independent but he already had the voters on his side from the Democratic primary. AOC, and other Squad members, ran in the Democratic primary because of Bernie's run in the Democratic primary in 2016.
For example, their rightwing pivots on trans rights and the border, not because anyone inside the party was advocating for it, but because of advocacy from the right and from the RNC.
I disagree with your conclusion here. I believe this pivot was because more right wing voters consistently turn up to the polls to vote on these issues than do left wing voters. They see the voters who advocate for trans rights and immigrant rights skipping the primary and declaring that they're not going to vote, so the party targets the voters who say they will come out to vote.
There hasn't been a single Electoral College vote for a 3rd party presidential candidate since 1968. Even when Perot received 19% of the national popular vote. Third party and independent legislators hold under 1% of the seats at the state and federal level. In 2024 only 3 third parties were on the ballot in more than 10 states, and none were on the ballot in all 50. You're better off putting that effort into overtaking your local and state Democratic party, because of ballot access That means both with better candidates running in the primaries and voters showing up to secure them the nomination, but also actually joining the party and voting in the internal leadership elections.
Only 21 states allow direct legislation by voter-led ballot initiatives. How are you going to overcome first-past-the-post spoiling the vote in favor of Republicans at the national level facing these odds?
Can we put the young person front and center please? I don’twant old people running the world anymore, and I mean it. No exceptions.
So how do we get there?
The shortest path from one place to another is a straight line. Direct votes cut through the disaster that is two-party politics and allow popular movements to go on offense. Health care for all? Guaranteed paid sick and family leave? More affordable housing? Environmental protection? Tax billionaires to fund public education and transportation? We could vote on it, and we don’t need to wait for a hypothetical third-party surge or fantasy future when an insurgent-led Democratic Party seizes a filibuster-proof trifecta. We can do it right now.
Many organizations are leading the fight to pass impactful ballot initiatives on the ground. They need resources and support, but the real missing piece is a coherent national movement connecting these efforts. That is exactly what Bernie and AOC can provide.
Americans are ready to directly legislate the ideas being put forth by the Fighting Oligarchy Tour. Bernie and AOC should use their platform to support and expand local ballot initiative fights across the country and consolidate that momentum into a coherent, national people-first agenda.
Wish they'd start a party
That's the last thing any leftist should want. A new party would only serve the GOP by splitting the vote.
Before we can have a viable third party, we absolutely need election reform.
Step 1: Take money out of politics. Overturn Citizens United and outlaw PACS. Ban Congress and Senate from having any investments. Taxpayers already pay for everything for them.
Step 2: Throw out the Electoral College because it does the opposite of what it was intended for.
Step 3+: Senate reform, ranked choice voting, redistricting to un-gerrymander, recall elections, and other basic democratic practices.
Nobody can stop what’s coming. Solve et coagula, the wheel turns.
Bernie need a retirement. Go home, enjoy whatever remains of the country. Younger people needs to take up the mantle.
Bernie 2028 is just not happening... like is this dude' gonna be president and then hear about a right wing terrorist attack against minorities, and have a heart attack upon hearing that.
Edit: This isn't meant to insult Bernie, I'm just saying dude deserves a proper retirement. Its not his responsibility/duty to continue fighting what should be this generation's fight.
He's not planning on running again. He's handing the torch to his "daughter" AOC.
Fight the Oligarchy! by rolling over and supporting it every time it fucks you, lol