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Democracy on the (Down) Ballot: Unpacking the Midterms, Voting Rights, and Local Electoral Reforms

During the 2022 midterms, voters not only cast a ballot to decide the balance of power in congress, but in in many states voters decided on a range of consequential ballot initiatives impacting the nuts and bolts of the electoral process including voter-ID laws, party primary reform, ranked choice voting, and proportional representation. The outcomes of these statewide and local level ballot initiatives have direct implications for future elections and participatory democracy.

This midterm recap webinar goes beyond the candidate horse race and focus on analysis and perspectives from advocates and scholars on recent voting-related ballot initiatives, immediate implications for future elections, and what’s ahead for emerging electoral reforms at the state and local level. See panelists Deb Otis, Director of Research at FairVote; Jenny Lee, Deputy Director of the Coalition of Communities of Color; and Wendy Underhill, Director of Elections and Redistricting at the National Conference of State Legislatures. Ash Center Reimagining Democracy Fellow Nick Chedli Carter moderated.

Programs

Reimagining Democracy Program

Issues

Institutional Reforms, Voting and Elections

Related Resources

A More Perfect Union: Marcus Board Jr. On Bridging Practice and Scholarship
Marcus Board Jr. on Harvard University's campus.

Feature

A More Perfect Union: Marcus Board Jr. On Bridging Practice and Scholarship

For Marcus Board Jr., democracy has never been just an academic subject—it has always been about people. As a 2025-2027 Democracy Visiting Fellow at the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation at Harvard Kennedy School, the Howard University political scientist explores how scholarship and community practice can work together to strengthen democracy.  

In this conversation, Board reflects on the experiences, ideas and relationships that have shaped his work.

Terms of Engagement—Kakistocracy, Populism, and Elites in American Politics

Podcast

Terms of Engagement—Kakistocracy, Populism, and Elites in American Politics

Richard Hanania, a writer and former alt-right influencer who renounced MAGA and now favors political rule by elites, joins Terms of Engagement to discuss his book “Kakistocracy: Why Populism Ends in Disaster.” The book is named for the Greek word meaning “rule by the worst.”

Terms of Engagement Summer Reading List
A collage of book and report recommendations from the Terms of Engagement summer reading list.

Feature

Terms of Engagement Summer Reading List

Books, reports, and articles exploring the front lines of American politics and democracy, as featured on the Terms of Engagement podcast.

More on this Issue

Terms of Engagement Summer Reading List
A collage of book and report recommendations from the Terms of Engagement summer reading list.

Feature

Terms of Engagement Summer Reading List

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Reimagining Democracy 2026 Summer Reading List
A collage of book covers, podcasts, and reports from the Reimagining Democracy summer reading list.

Feature

Reimagining Democracy 2026 Summer Reading List

Tova Wang, director of research projects in democratic practice at the Ash Center, shares her top picks for summer reads focused on making democracy more resilient, responsive, and inclusive.

Allen Lab Fellow Spotlight: City Charters Are Deliberative Democracy’s Friends

Commentary

Allen Lab Fellow Spotlight: City Charters Are Deliberative Democracy’s Friends

Allen Lab Fellow Tyler Fisher examines the untapped potential of city charters as a vehicle for deliberative democracy, arguing that advocates should work to embed tools like citizen assemblies, participatory budgeting, and town meetings directly into the governing architecture of cities, institutionalizing deliberative democracy one municipality at a time.