Re: [ManisteeDems 9666] Fw: 🌉 Tired of Division? Join Us Wednesday, Nov 19 in Manistee: Let’s Bridge the Divide with Ranked Choice...

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K.P. Pelleran

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Nov 20, 2025, 7:19:51 AMNov 20

to Philip Van Dam, Helge John, Manist...@googlegroups.com

Hi Philip,

To all I say, please feel free to circulate and sign any petitions as you like. I hope that is a clear message from me. That is a value I hold dearly.

Further, as a Democratic Party member and a self-identified Democrat for 55 years, that does not conflict in the slightest with my point on Democratic Party neutrality related to ballot questions.

As this is a Democratic Party chat, one can expect Party loyalty to its mission to recruit, nominate, and elect candidates to office on the Democratic Party ticket who share our Democratic Party values and priorities. I do ask for Party loyalty and neutrality on ballot questions, especially one as divisive as ranked choice voting (RCV). It was NOT to say over any kind of individual values, as you assert. One of those values is our right to vote. When the Party loses sight of its mission and attempts to be all things to all people, it invites division.

Please, feel free to circulate and sign the RCV petition and vote any way you prefer. That is your right, which I have fought my entire adult life to protect and preserve.

That in no way minimizes my point. This is a Democratic Party chat group and I’m proud to say that our mission is to recruit, nominate, and elect Democrats to office at all levels of government—including precinct delegates. To invite division is counter to its mission.

Let’s keep our eye on the prize in the 2026 elections.

K.P. Mahoney

Cell: 517-887-0580

Sent from my iPhone

On Nov 19, 2025, at 6:26 PM, Philip Van Dam <pastorph...@netscape.net> wrote:

I am responding to the first sentence here, and only the first sentence. What I hear is loyalty to party over any kind of values. This is what I see with the Republicans: many of them seem loyal to the Republican Party, no matter what it does. K.P. does not say that progressive/liberal/leftist candidates should run for all offices, but rather Democrats. The only value I see reflected is that a particular institution should win elections. This reflects what I have seen in many people who say that they are for the Two-Party system: they actually are not. They are for a one party system with their party in all offices. When we abandon values in favor of institutional loyalty, this is what happens.
Peace,
Philip Van Dam

On Monday, November 10, 2025 at 03:59:54 PM EST, 'K.P. Pelleran' via Manistee Dems <manist...@googlegroups.com> wrote:

Hi John,

It is my sincere recommendation that the Democratic Party stay neutral on ballot questions in order to focus its energy on its mission to recruit, nominate, and elect candidates to office at all levels of government. That includes staying neutral on Ranked Choice Voting (RCV). As a researcher, I did my own research on RCV after the Rank Mi Vote staff couldn’t answer three salient questions: 1. what’s wrong with our current system and why is it RCV needed? 2. what is the cost-benefit analysis? 3. What are implications of RCV on the Democratic Party and its mission?

My research reveals:
• the vast majority of people like our current plurality voting system, as it’s easy for voters to understand; and the results are accurate and timely;
• only the states of Maine and Alaska have implemented RCV—they are not comparable to Michigan with more than 10 million in population as compared to their 1.3 million and 750,000 respectively, and there is a lack of empirical data on RCV’s effectiveness and efficiency;
• the RCV would increase the costs of hardware, software, and staffing needs in every voting precinct in Michigan for each and every election;
• The Michigan County Clerk’s Association passed a resolution opposing the RCV ballot proposal;
• it can disadvantage the Democratic Party by disenfranchising it’s base of voters (i.e. in the 2021 New York City (NYC) elections, 140,000 voters exhausted their choices, meaning that their ballots were not counted in the final tally); those on the lower academic and income levels may have greater challenges in voting a longer and more complicated ballot.

Lastly, it was evident to those watching the recent 2025 NYC Mayoral elections that the claim by proponents, that RCV would curtail the influence of big money and negative advertising and rancor, did not pan out.

That is why I am urging Party leaders to seek presentations from all sides of ballot questions and for the Party to remain neutral, while leaving it to individual voter discretion on whether to support RCV and / or circulate its petitions.

Unfortunately, it does not appear that leaders are anxious to present more than one position on this issue.

Best regards,
K.P.

Kathy Pelleran-Mahoney, ABD, MPA
Credentials:
• 2024 Democratic candidate, 102nd State House District
• Member, Mason County Democratic Party County Committee
• Member, 2nd Congressional District Democratic Party & DSCC Alternate
• Secretary, White Lake Area Futures Democratic Club
• Former City Clerk and Election Administrator, Montague, MI
• Former alternate member, Muskegon County Board of Canvassers
• Served on several election recount panels
• Former poll challenger in minority precincts in Ingham County (10 years
• State Director for Council for a Strong America for 15 years in Michigan where I led five separate nonprofit sub organizations with law enforcement leaders, retired admirals and generals, business leaders, athletes and coaches, and faith-based leaders to invest in proven public programs aimed to get and keep kids on track to success and opportunity in school, careers, and life.
• Program Officer and trainer, National Democratic Institute for International Affairs, Moscow, Russia. Worked across the former Soviet Union leading programs for civic leaders, members of the Duma, political parties, and candidates for local, regional, and national office. Led an election review team for the first free parliamentary (Duma) elections in Moscow, Russia.
• As Committee Clerk, dealt with state election law for the State Senate Standing Committee on Municipalities and Election
• Policy and constituent relations aide, former State Senator Mitch Irwin (D-MI); regional director and policy staff, U.S. Senator Carl Levin (D-MI), and press secretary for U.S. Rep. Karan English (D-AZ)

Cell: 517-887-0580
Sent from my iPhone

On Nov 10, 2025, at 1:40 PM, John Helge <johnm...@gmail.com> wrote:

Please plan to join us to learn more about ranked choice voting.

<Outlook-keeka4bo.jpg>

John M. Helge

johnm...@gmail.com

616-915-2403

From: Mary at Rank MI Vote <communi...@rankmivote.org>
Sent: Sunday, November 9, 2025 4:00 PM
To: John Helge <johnm...@gmail.com>
Subject: 🌉 Tired of Division? Join Us Wednesday, Nov 19 in Manistee: Let’s Bridge the Divide with Ranked Choice Voting

Join your fellow citizens to learn how Ranked Choice Voting helps bridge divides, lower the temperature, and give voters more voice.

America is more politically divided than ever — and too many voters feel unheard. It’s time for a solution that lowers the temperature, rewards collaboration, empowers voters, and truly reflects the will of the people.

That’s what Ranked Choice Voting does, and that’s what Rank MI Vote’s Bridge the Divide community action series is all about.

🌟 Be part of the change! Join us in Manistee, Wednesday, November 19.

Ranked Choice Voting gives voters real choices and rewards candidates who build coalitions instead of pointing fingers, helping restore civility, fairness, and trust to our democracy.

At this special event, you’ll:

✅ Learn about the problems with our current system and how Ranked Choice Voting fixes them

✅ Hear our plan to bring Ranked Choice Voting statewide through a 2026 Constitutional Amendment

✅ Discover how you can help bring hope and collaboration to Michigan

Event details:

🗓️ Wednesday, November 19 6:00 - 7:00 pm

📍 Manistee Downtown Educ. Ctr - Classrooms A & B, 401 River St, Manistee, MI 49660

✨ This is how change starts, one conversation, one signature, one meeting at a time. Decide to make a difference in Michigan’s future. Join us, bring a friend, and be part of the movement to lower the temperature and build a democracy that works for everyone.

We look forward to seeing you! Let’s help Michigan voters vote their hopes, not their fears!

Mary Perrin
Rank MI Vote Communications
commun...@rankmivote.org

Support Our Campaign

Rank MI Vote is a grassroots, volunteer-powered organization, and every dollar makes an enormous impact.

Since our founding by a group of volunteers in 2019, we've been entirely sustained by individual donors and grants and have no sustaining corporate or national sources of income. That's why your support is essential to sustaining Rank MI Vote as we incur petition printing costs. We're in our most critical phase of the campaign, which is why today, we ask for your support to keep RMV moving forward.

I'd Like to Sustain Rank MI Vote

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Tim Joseph

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Nov 20, 2025, 8:50:38 AMNov 20

to K.P. Pelleran, Philip Van Dam, Helge John, Manist...@googlegroups.com

As always, I hold KP's opinions in high respect. and I thoroughly agree that our primary mission is to run candidates. I am puzzled though, by the idea of neutrality on ballot questions. Where does that come from? Surely there are many ballot questions that will arise that we will take very strong stands on. Anyone can easily imagine examples. An initiative to ban all abortions in Michigan? You name it. Perhaps RCV is one we should remain neutral on; I don't know. But a blanket policy of neutrality on ballot measures? Really? --Tim Joseph

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/manisteedems/E0CA6DD7-CB91-4687-A266-9610B09EE9DA%40yahoo.com.

ltr...@gmail.com

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Nov 20, 2025, 8:59:30 AMNov 20

to Tim Joseph, K.P. Pelleran, Philip Van Dam, Helge John, Manist...@googlegroups.com

Thank you, Tim. The party should provide leadership as well as support. Voters need to know that we stand for something other than raising funds and running candidates. We lost the last election not because we didn’t support our candidates, we lost because we didn’t convince voters that our version of government was better than the opposition's.

Lee Trucks

Jackpine.com
Jackpine Internet Service

Keep On Truckin' Poster

Hi Philip,

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/manisteedems/CADswgWEgG_NA7_bs3wp5FOTsuVN6WqS3hT2G99n5w5A8e2YsfQ%40mail.gmail.com.

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cri...@wispwest.net

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Nov 20, 2025, 10:23:57 AMNov 20

For what it is worth, my 2 cents:

I attended the presentation on RCV last night, only about 10 people
showed up, guess I kinda expected more... The speaker provided a VERY
informative powerpoint program and she fielded questions throughout her
presentation in an informed and respectful way - probably the best hour
I've spent listening to political discussion in the last month or so.

I can't say I recall everything discussed, but two things I learned
were:

1) the ballot proposal allows voters to only vote for one candidate if
they so wish, which is no different than the current system. Also, you
don't have to rank all the candidates in a particular race. Of course,
those compelled to familiarize themselves with all candidates on the
ballot and choose to completely rank their choices stand to have a
greater influence on the outcome of any particular election race. The
speaker's visual presentation of this in her powerpoint was very useful
in depicting how it works.

2) MCD meetings seem to revolve around "how do we get younger voters
interested in our issues and participate"? Guess what - younger age
voters here in Michigan are the ones showing up and interested in this
proposal. The speaker indicated that more than half the signatures to
date are coming from younger citizens, and especially from college
towns. The message seems to be that younger people are fed-up with the
status quo in our election system, can you blame them?

Again, I found the presentation informative and respectful, I would
strongly support requesting the speaker visit for a follow-up
presentation that would hopefully draw more interested local folks who
want to learn more about our existing election process and what RCV
proposes. I feel I know more about RCV now than I did before.

- Chris Riley

>> -------------------------

>>
>> From: Mary at Rank MI Vote <communi...@rankmivote.org>
>> Sent: Sunday, November 9, 2025 4:00 PM
>> To: John Helge <johnm...@gmail.com>
>> Subject: 🌉 Tired of Division? Join Us Wednesday, Nov 19 in
>> Manistee: Let’s Bridge the Divide with Ranked Choice Voting
>>
>> Join your fellow citizens to learn how Ranked Choice Voting helps
>> bridge divides, lower the temperature, and give voters more voice.
>>

>> [1]

>>
>> America is more politically divided than ever — and too many

>> voters feel unheard. It’s time for a solution that _lowers the
>> temperature, rewards collaboration, empowers voters,_ and _truly
>> reflects the will of the people_.

>>
>> That’s what Ranked Choice Voting does, and that’s what Rank MI
>> Vote’s Bridge the Divide community action series is all about.
>>
>> 🌟 Be part of the change! Join us in Manistee, Wednesday, November
>> 19.
>>
>> Ranked Choice Voting gives voters real choices and rewards
>> candidates who build coalitions instead of pointing fingers, helping
>> restore civility, fairness, and trust to our democracy.
>>
>> At this special event, you’ll:
>>
>> ✅ Learn about the problems with our current system and how Ranked
>> Choice Voting fixes them
>> ✅ Hear our plan to bring Ranked Choice Voting statewide through a
>> 2026 Constitutional Amendment
>> ✅ Discover how you can help bring hope and collaboration to
>> Michigan
>>
>> Event details:
>>
>> 🗓️ Wednesday, November 19 6:00 - 7:00 pm
>> 📍 Manistee Downtown Educ. Ctr - Classrooms A & B, 401 River St,
>> Manistee, MI 49660
>>

>> [2]
>>
>> ✨ This is how change starts, _one conversation, one signature, one
>> meeting at a time_. Decide to make a difference in Michigan’s

>> future. Join us, bring a friend, and be part of the movement to
>> lower the temperature and build a democracy that works for everyone.
>>
>>
>> We look forward to seeing you! Let’s help Michigan voters vote
>> their hopes, not their fears!
>>
>> Mary Perrin
>> Rank MI Vote Communications
>> commun...@rankmivote.org
>>

>> -------------------------
>>
>> SUPPORT OUR CAMPAIGN

>>
>> Rank MI Vote is a grassroots, volunteer-powered organization, and
>> every dollar makes an enormous impact.
>>

>> Since our founding by a group of volunteers in 2019, we've been
>> entirely sustained by individual donors and grants and have no
>> sustaining corporate or national sources of income. That's why your
>> support is essential to sustaining Rank MI Vote as we incur petition
>> printing costs. We're in our most critical phase of the campaign,
>> which is why today, we ask for your support to keep RMV moving
>> forward.
>>

>> I'd Like to Sustain Rank MI Vote [3]
>>
>> -------------------------
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karen goodman

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Nov 20, 2025, 12:05:41 PMNov 20

to ltr...@gmail.com, Tim Joseph, Pelleran K.P., Philip Van Dam, Helge John, Manist...@googlegroups.com

well put K.P. Appreciate you thoughtful comments and the reflection it provides.

Karen Goodman

Sent from my iPhone

On Nov 20, 2025, at 8:59 AM, ltr...@gmail.com wrote:

Thank you, Tim. The party should provide leadership as well as support. Voters need to know that we stand for something other than raising funds and running candidates. We lost the last election not because we didn’t support our candidates, we lost because we didn’t convince voters that our version of government was better than the opposition's.

Lee Trucks

Jackpine.com
Jackpine Internet Service

<image001.jpg>

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/manisteedems/!%26!AAAAAAAAAAAuAAAAAAAAAMHJYXxdJG5GkOKc6%2BKr/K4BAMO2jhD3dRHOtM0AqgC7tuYAAAAAAA4AABAAAADjc5iwZVG6S5FoQMRKUFnbAQAAAAA%3D%40gmail.com.

K.P. Pelleran

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Nov 20, 2025, 2:56:10 PMNov 20

to Tim Joseph, Philip Van Dam, Helge John, Manist...@googlegroups.com

Tim, Neutrality and guidance are two completely separate matters. For example, the League of Women Voters gives normally presents both (or several) sides of ballot questions. It also shares the candidates. It does do so from a position of neutrality. Let the voter decide, but provide room for all views and discussion for members and the public. As. Democrats our Party Platform gives substance in expression to our issues and values. It’s a 33-page document that’s organized and easy to read. It’s an expression of our beliefs. One can easily find it online.

Best,

K.P.

Kathy Pelleran-Mahoney

Cell: 517-887-0580

Sent from my iPhone

On Nov 20, 2025, at 8:50 AM, Tim Joseph <tjose...@gmail.com> wrote:

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Re: [ManisteeDems 9666] Fw: 🌉 Tired of Division? Join Us Wednesday, Nov 19 in Manistee: Let’s Bridge the Divide with Ranked Choice...

K.P. Pelleran

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karen goodman

K.P. Pelleran