Dan Cantor
@DanCantor_
Senior Advisor @fusionvoting. Here for multiparty democracy, election reform, and government that works. Reviving #FusionVoting 🗳 former @WorkingFamilies
This is my first-ever tweet. I’m old but not dead, and there’s a democracy to save.
“Ending the ban on fusion voting would enable people in the center to build their own political home and to pull the other parties away from their extremes…The ABA Task Force's final report may encourage the states to reconsider bans on fusion voting…” newsweek.com/this-century-o…
Fusion is not a silver bullet, but it is a historically grounded and politically pragmatic tool to reinvigorate pluralism in American democracy. Read the full report here: newamerica.org/political-refo… #FusionVoting #ElectoralReform
Re-legalizing fusion voting is legally and administratively feasible at the state level. It historically operated in most states until the early 20th century and remains active in states like New York and Connecticut.
Fusion empowers issue-based and centrist parties to shape candidate behavior and legislative priorities, restoring a moderating influence lacking in today’s polarized system.
Fusion can improve voter turnout and civic engagement by offering more expressive choices, enhancing competition in non-competitive districts, and signaling meaningful distinctions within and across coalitions.
Fusion mitigates the “spoiler effect” and “wasted vote” problems that marginalize third parties. By allowing cross-endorsements, fusion enables minor parties to influence outcomes without undermining electoral viability.
Most American voters hold more moderate or mixed views than the national parties represent, but single-member plurality elections prevent viable alternatives from emerging. Fusion voting allows more representative coalition politics.
The two-party system has become a “doom loop,” where polarization reinforces gridlock and public distrust. Fusion voting offers an intervention to disrupt this cycle without requiring constitutional change.
@leedrutman made a case for fusion voting as a structural reform to counteract partisan polarization and democratic backsliding in the U.S. in his 2022 report. Read more about the key findings here:
A sneak preview from our forthcoming podcast: Guest @perrybaconjr gives his take on better ways to bring new parties into our democracy than just a party in @elonmusk's image.
Fusion voting incentivizes what D.C. fears most: cooperation. On issues like immigration—where 60%+ of Americans agree—we get gridlock because the two parties are locked in combat. Fusion lets coalition-minded voters back candidates across parties who support real solutions.…
Elon Musk says it's time for a new political party—and he’s not alone. But to truly break the two-party gridlock, we need more than just a third option. Real reform starts with how we vote: #FusionVoting and #ProportionalRepresentation can open the door to many new voices.
From @LeeDrutman to @ElonMusk: If you’re serious about building a third party, then start with fusion voting. It’s how minor parties gain real power—by cross-nominating major party candidates and showing where their votes come from. Ballot lines = leverage. Third parties = power…
Our new report explains the history of ballot initiative adoption in the U.S. – and breaks down how supporters can expand access to these tools today. newamerica.org/political-refo… @NewAmerica