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What They’re Saying About Fusion

“The systemic benefits of fusion could be substantial, by tempering the destabilizing effects of hyper-polarization and by incentivizing parties and candidates to compete for voters in the middle. But legalizing fusion would also empower the individual voter, especially one frustrated with our two major parties.” 

 

“In some of the seven states that do allow fusion voting, including New York and Connecticut, it has helped create right or left coalitions in past decades. But advocates today see it doing something else: filling the gap in the political middle, which has eroded. They want to see more centrist parties emerge, which they say could help draw the two major parties to the middle, and fashion more of a multiparty system, which is the norm in most other democracies around the world.”

 

“Today, the United States is the only major democracy with just two parties represented in its national legislature. Even for lower offices, successful third‐​party candidates are few and far between… In an age of hyper-​polarization, restoring fusion offers an important way to break up the strict duopoly of American politics.”

 

“A democratic system that silences moderate voices and rewards extremism is running on borrowed time. If we want democracy to be more than a history lesson for our children and grandchildren, we need change. Fusion voting isn’t just common sense; it could be the key to unlocking a less divisive, less violent, and more representative future. Wish us luck.”

 

“There’s a gut-wrenching aversion among many Republicans that says, ‘I could never vote for a Democrat,’. Fusion voting allows people to express their true preferences in a way the two-party system does not.” 

 

“A centrist fusion party could restore to Americans in the middle some of the leverage they have lost… Our political system today rewards and encourages divisiveness that has already led to violence and could tear our country apart. We need new rules that promote responsible leadership and cooperation.”

 

“Democracy defenders can experiment with new parties to pull voters away from the GOP. For example, Rep. Tom Malinowski (D-N.J.), who is in a tough reelection fight in New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District, recently received the endorsement of the new Moderate Party. If the party prevails in its lawsuit against the state’s ban on ‘fusion’ parties, Malinowski would appear on the ballot under both the Democratic and Moderate banners. There is no one strategy that fits all situations. Whatever the methodology, Democrats and non-MAGA Republicans should work on innovative ways to put country over party and diminish the influence of the narrow strata of right-wing extremists. Our democracy might depend on it.”

 

“The status quo upholds party sovereignty, which is unfair, given that there are more unaffiliated voters in New Jersey (2.5 million) than Democrats or Republicans… One solution is to repeal the 1921 ban on fusion voting. Given the dominance of party bosses and the extremists they often put on the ballot and in office, it’s time to heed new voices.”

 

“Fusion voting could facilitate the formation of coalitions by giving minor parties a more prominent and influential role in elections and the policymaking process.”

 

“An even more promising reform, for the general election, would be ballot fusion, which involves simply allowing parties to nominate a candidate who is already on the ballot under another party.”

 

“Fusion voting permits an electoral candidate to be nominated by more than one political party–usually one major party and one minor party. The candidate runs on the ballots of both parties and the votes for both parties are combined for that candidate. This way voters may support a minor party that represents their preferences while actually influencing the election by voting for a cross-nominated major-party candidate who has a realistic chance of winning; this avoids wasted, protest votes or “spoiler” votes.”

 

“Fusion voting has been used successfully, the first way is a major party nominee and member gets his or her own major party’s nomination but the candidate gets the nomination of the minor party as well. And if it’s a close election, that candidate who received the nomination of both a major and a minor party sometimes — he needs those votes from a minor party label.”

 

“I’m a fan of fusion voting because it helps policy makers to create unique coalitions within their own district that best represent their own area. I think it also helps break up the groupthink of voters. You could have a Republican/Green fusion ticket or a Democrat/pro-life party ticket. I think it also allows people to become participants of 3rd parties and not feel like their vote is being wasted.”