Partners In Democracy

Civic Learning Week's National Forum is about to kick off at 11:30am with remarks from Danielle Allen, our founder - livestream it here:

Democracy Renovation on The Ballot Join PID for a virtual workshop exploring what ballot questions are, what democracy-based questions are attempting to appear on the ballot in 2026, and explore ways we can all take action to improve and strengthen our democracy through the ballot question process. Thursday, FEBRUARY 26th 6:30 - 7:30 P.M. EASTERN PartnersInDemocracy.us Be a voice for democracy in your community!

Want to learn what’s on the ballot, how the ballot question process works in Massachusetts, and how you can take action?

Join us tomorrow at 6:30pm ET for a virtual Democracy Renovation on the Ballot volunteer training! Register here:

us06web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

When you use MAPLE to email your representatives, please cc testimony@voterchoicema.org - thanks!

Click through below for details on tomorrow's RCV lobby day! You can also submit testimony through @mapletestimony.bsky.social ...

Boston: www.mapletestimony.org/bills/194/H4...

Bedford: www.mapletestimony.org/bills/194/H4...

join our team! Open positions: Interim Organizing Manager, PID MA Action apply at: bit.ly/join_pid re hiring! we Civic Education Advocacy Fellowship

Join our team! Partners In Democracy has two current openings:

📋 Interim Organizing Manager, PID MA Action
👩‍🏫 Civic Education Advocacy Fellowship

Learn more & find out how to apply:
partnersindemocracy.us/our-team/joi...

UPDATE Home Rule Petitions for RCV from Boston & Bedford were officially referred to the Joint Committee on Election Laws, and the committee advanced favorably a statewide RCV local option bill progress for ranked choice voting! www.partnersindemocracy.us

Progress for Ranked Choice Voting!

🗳️ Boston & Bedford RCV Home Rule Petitions went to the Joint Committee on Election Laws

✅ The committee advanced a statewide RCV local option bill

Thanks @beccarausch.bsky.social for her leadership & @voterchoicema.bsky.social for rallying support!

Read our statement on the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti:

partnersindemocracy.us/statement-on...

Join - Partners in Democracy Join Join Join our Mailing List

Do you get PID's monthly newsletter? Our January edition is coming out soon! Sign up here to get it, along with regular updates about our events, trainings, and opportunities to testify on critical democracy reform legislation:

So great to see dozens of written testimonies in favor of Ranked Choice Voting being submitted through @mapletestimony.bsky.social - keep them coming!

There's a deadline of 5pm *today* to sign up to testify in favor of Ranked Choice Voting at tomorrow's 1pm Joint Committee on Election Laws hearing

Register here:

The MA legislature is holding a hearing on Ranked Choice Voting & there are two key ways you can speak up:

✍️ Join our Testimony Workshop on Thu. 11/6 at 6pm (Zoom)

🗣️ Testify on Thu. 11/13 at 1pm (in person or on Zoom)

Sign up: linktr.ee/partnersinde...

Rewiring Democracy AI is changing democracy. We still get to decide how.AI’s impact on democracy will go far beyond headline-grabbing political deepfakes and automated mi...

And finally congrats to @mapletestimony.bsky.social's Nathan Sanders, who just co-authored a book, “Rewiring Democracy: How AI Will Transform Our Politics, Government & Citizenship"

PID & @mapletestimony.bsky.social are in Maine today as @northeasternu.bsky.social's Roux Institute hosts “Foundations for the Digital Commons: Aligning Technology, Law, and Innovation for the Common Good"

Four people on panel discussion at MAPLE event in Massachusetts State House Great Hall with US flag behind

About 70 people listen to panel discussion at MAPLE event in Massachusetts State House Great Hall

MAPLE and Partners in Democracy staff & supporters pose after event

Congratulations to our partners at @mapletestimony.bsky.social on a terrific event at the State House this month! PID President & CEO Jerren Chang joined MAPLE’s Matt Victor & Nathan Sanders and others for “Civic Tech in Action: Empowering Engagement Through Innovation.”

BALLOT BATTLES NEW THIS MORNING — UAW Region 9A is endorsing the ballot question that would reform the way legislative stipends are awarded on Beacon Hill. “The UAW is proud to represent millions of Americans nationally and in states across the country, and we can see that the Massachusetts legislature’s level of dysfunction and poor governance is an outlier,” Dan Rourke, chair of UAW Region 9A MA CAP Council, said. “We’re endorsing the stipend reform ballot question because ending loyalty pay is one of the many reforms necessary to achieve the responsive, representative legislature that the Commonwealth deserves.”

Momentum is building for stipend reform! As @kellygarrity.bsky.social reports, @uawregion9a.bsky.social has endorsed reforming legislative loyalty pay.

We need your help to get this & other pro-democracy questions on the ballot! Sign up here to help us gather signatures:
forms.gle/8EKmyRbCzeBo...

Join us tonight!

EXPLORING BALLOT QUESTIONS 101 Join PID for a virtual workshop exploring what ballot questions are, what democracy-based questions are attempting to appear on the ballot in 2026, and explore ways we can all take action to improve and strengthen our democracy through the ballot question process. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15TH 6 - 7:30 P.M. EASTERN REGISTER NOW: bit.ly/pid_ballot PartnersInDemocracy.us Be a voice for democracy in your community!

How could 2026’s proposed ballot questions in MA impact you?

Register now for PID’s free virtual workshop Oct. 15 at 6pm: us06web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

Civic Tech in Action: Empowering Engagement Through Innovation · Luma Help shape the future of democracy in Massachusetts! This State House event will spotlight how technology can open new doors for participation, amplify…

Help shape the future of democracy in Massachusetts! ​Join @mapletestimony.bsky.social at the State House on 10/1 from 11:30-1pm. You’ll see a demonstration of MAPLE’s platform, hear from people using it to help their advocacy & enjoy a complimentary lunch.

RSVP now: luma.com/tte4v0rh

TONIGHT! Sign up here: us06web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

Massachusetts is Renovating Democracy By John Griffin of Partners in Democracy: 18 potential ballot measures to renovate Massachusetts' democracy are moving forward.

Guest post from @pid-us.bsky.social's John Griffin about exciting new democracy renovation ballot initiatives in the works in Massachusetts! This is a great example of how a "tipping point state" with more agreement in government can lead the way and model better practices.

Speak up for critical democracy renovation measures in Massachusetts! The legislature is holding a hearing next week & on Monday, September 15th at 6:00 PM, we're hosting a virtual workshop on how to prepare & submit testimony.

Sign up now!

us06web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

Statement on Murder of Charlie Kirk - Partners in Democracy Our vision for the future of our democracy was not Mr. Kirk’s vision, but we defended his right to articulate his view. The public sphere of a free society should be shaped by civic participants who w...

Reaction to Charlie Kirk's senseless murder from Partners In Democracy:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to Healey press secretary Karissa Hand, the Boston Globe’s Martin Finucane, Brian Farnkoff, Meg Wheeler and Annika Jensen. Happy belated to state Rep. Dennis Gallagher, who celebrated Tuesday.

Happy birthday to our Organizing Manager, Annika Jensen, who gets a shout-out today from @kellygarrity.bsky.social in Politico Massachusetts Playbook!

www.politico.com/newsletters/...

Welcome! You are invited to join a meeting: Writing & Delivering Testimony Workshop. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting. Join Partners in Democracy on Monday, September 15th at 6:00 PM for a virtual workshop specifically to prepare to submit written or oral testimony in support of same-day voter registration legislation...

The Joint Committee on Election Laws has now included S.524 in a hearing set for 9/16. We'll discuss this bill in our Writing & Delivering Testimony Workshop the night before on 9/15 at 6pm - register here:

No one should lose their voting rights for a felony conviction or incarceration. Use @mapletestimony.bsky.social to submit your testimony in support of S.524, An Act Relative to Voting Rights Restoration:

WRITING AND DELIVERING TESTIMONY: Same-Day Voter Registration Advocacy Training As our legislature considers same-day registration, PID’s Emma Chinman will explain how to tell your story & prep you to speak at an upcoming hearing. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 6 - 7:30 P.M. REGISTER NOW: bit.ly/pid_testimony PartnersInDemocracy.us Be a voice for democracy in your community!

Speak up for same-day voter registration to Massachusetts!

We're hosting a virtual training Monday 9/15 at 6pm on how to write & deliver effective testimony, then planning to testify at a State House hearing Tuesday 9/16.

Register now: bit.ly/pid_testimony

Stipend Reform Ballot Mobilization Date & Time Sep 4, 2025 06:00 PM in Eastern Time (US and Canada) Description Partners in Democracy is hosting a Stipend Reform Ballot Mobilization on Thursday, September 4th at 6:00 p.m. EST (Zoom). We’ll walk through our plan to get this democracy reform on the ballot in MA, and how you can help us make it happen!

Should your legislator’s pay be determined by their performance - or by loyalty to leadership?

We urgently need to reform legislative “stipends" - and we need your help to do it. On 9/4 at 6pm, we’ll walk through our plan to get reform on the ballot in MA. Register now: bit.ly/stipend-stra...

Public media is under assault. Here’s a way to fight back. - The Boston Globe Americans desperately need a shared civic infrastructure. We can fund it with an attention extraction tax on Big Tech.

We’re proud to partner with @mapletestimony.bsky.social to build the digital civic infrastructure our democracy needs. Read their founders in @globeopinion.bsky.social on how we can grow support across ideological lines:

“Legislators face a difficult choice: Please leadership now, or sacrifice their financial & political interests. A better system of legislative pay would remove the loyalty link & let legislators vote their conscience, without having to wonder if their salary will be impacted.” Jerren Chang President & CEO, Partners in Democracy

Partners in Democracy is joining the Legislative Effectiveness & Accountability Partnership (LEAP) coalition, filing a 2026 ballot question to reform the MA legislature’s unjust system of loyalty pay:

www.bostonglobe.com/2025/08/06/m... @samanthajgross.bsky.social

S.504 An Act enforcing accessibility for voters with disabilities. MA legislators: Please support this bill! For more info, visit https://partnersindemocracy.us/

S.504 would require regular inspections of polling places to make sure they’re meeting accessibility standards. Thank you lead sponsor @beccarausch.bsky.social!

Share your support with @mapletestimony.bsky.social:

www.mapletestimony.org/bills/194/S504