What races will the policy affect?
As stated in the ballot initiative language, Proposition D would implement reforms for St. Louis City municipal offices: Mayor, Comptroller, President of the Board of Aldermen, and all races for Aldermen/Alderwomen. Other St. Louis City-wide positions, such as Treasurer and Recorder of Deeds, are “county” offices governed by state law and cannot be modified through city ordinance.
What are the benefits of a nonpartisan election?
Nonpartisan elections force candidates to campaign on the real issues facing voters, like public safety, housing, and education, instead of using national partisan tropes as a distraction. Voters deserve to know candidates’ ideas, priorities, values, and experience that they will bring to their actual job.
A nonpartisan system means that St. Louis’s leaders can work with state leaders across party lines more effectively, since they represent voters in a nonpartisan fashion.
What are the benefits of approval voting?
Approval voting gives voters more power by allowing them to select all the candidates they wish, avoiding issues with vote-splitting, spoiler candidates, and strategic voting. Many political scientists believe it is a very representative system.
Approval voting has the benefit of selecting candidates who appeal to the most voters. A big advantage of approval voting over other systems is it never hurts to vote for your honest favorite candidate.
How does ward reduction or the upcoming Mayoral election affect Prop D?
If ward reduction moves forward, Prop D will be even more important for aldermanic races. Bigger wards will mean more incumbents and candidates running and splitting votes if we don’t fix the problem.
The upcoming mayor’s race also underscores the urgency of Prop D. Many candidates with overlapping support are planning to run. Prop D would help voters elect the most popular candidates, instead of whoever happens to have the fewest spoiled votes.
Who is behind Prop D? Who supports it?
A small handful of grassroots volunteers, legally incorporated as STL Approves, have been advocating for voting reform in St. Louis City since 2017 to ensure winning candidates have broad support among voters. Now, our team has grown, and we have developed a thorough policy and campaign plan to make Prop D a reality. Check out some of our supporters, and add your name! All funding thus far has been either obtained through applying for grants or grassroots donations. We do NOT take money from Rex Sinquefield nor any of his organizations.
How do I contact you?
You can reach @STLApproves on Facebook and Twitter, or send us an email at info@stlapproves.org.