The TEN Principles of True Democracy
1. Every Vote Must Be Equal
The core belief of the True Democracy Project is simple: in a representative system, every voter should have the same power.
Today, that is not the case. The Senate, the Electoral College, gerrymandering, closed primaries, and winner-take-all rules all systematically distort representation.
We support reforms that restore the fundamental principle of one voter, one equal vote.
2. Majority Rule Is the Minimum Requirement
No candidate should win office with 30% or 40% of the vote simply because the field was crowded.
Every office-holder must be elected by a true majority — even if it requires a runoff.
If you don’t have at least 50% support, you haven’t earned the job.
3. End Gerrymandering Completely
Voters should choose their representatives — not the other way around.
We reject any redistricting system where political actors draw lines to advantage themselves or disadvantage others.
The goal is a system where:
- Politicians cannot rig districts
- Voters are not sorted by party
- Representation reflects people, not map-makers
4. Replace Closed Partisan Primaries with Open, Inclusive Elections
Closed primaries empower a small fraction of voters — often the most extreme voices.
We support open, non-partisan elections where all candidates appear on one ballot, every voter participates equally, and majority support determines the winner.
5. Replace Winner-Take-All Rules Wherever Possible
Winner-take-all creates false majorities and silences minority viewpoints.
Reform should encourage consensus, reward broad appeal, and prevent candidates from “winning” with far less than half the vote.
6. Remove Structural Barriers to Fair Representation
The U.S. system contains numerous anti-majority mechanisms that have no place in a healthy representative government:
- The Senate’s population imbalance
- The Electoral College
- At-large city councils and school boards which allow slim majorities to dominate every seat and leave entire communities unrepresented.
- State minority-veto rules
- Lifetime Supreme Court appointments
We support structural reforms that restore accountability to voters.
7. Protect Equal Representation for Minority Communities
Majority rule cannot come at the expense of communities the Voting Rights Act was designed to protect.
Systems should ensure that:
- minority voices cannot be diluted
- communities of interest can elect candidates they support
- equal vote power is upheld for everyone
Fairness and equal representation go hand in hand.
8. Modernize Our Electoral System for 21st-Century Reality
American elections run on 19th-century infrastructure.
We support evidence-based improvements that increase participation and trust, including:
- secure, verifiable voting systems
- simplified ballots
- transparent vote counting
- independent oversight
- open-source tools where possible
A modern democracy deserves modern tools.
9. Build Toward Constitutional Reform: The Equal Voter Amendment
Our long-term goal is the
Equal Voter Amendment, a constitutional framework ensuring:
- equal voting power
- majority rule
- nonpartisan districting
- transparent election processes
- accountability to actual voters, not factions
This amendment represents the structural shift the country needs — and the one our current system cannot deliver on its own.
