PORTLAND, Ore. - Coming off a contentious election in 2020, the United States feels, to some, as divided as it has been in recent memory. But organizations want to bridge the gap through conversation.

America Talks, a two-day event talking place this weekend, kicks off the National Week of Conversation. America Talks will pair people up via video so that they can discuss their differences.

One Portland-based organization participating in the event, Crossing Party Lines, has been connecting folks since 2016. The group's co-founder and executive director Lisa Swallow said these conversations can break down barriers in eye-opening ways.

"We get a lot of people reporting back things like they're less anxious than they used to be because they see that the other side doesn't have it out to get them, is not trying to destroy the country," said Swallow. "We see them really getting a sense of connection."

Swallow said it's important for people to feel comfortable in these situations and believes creating community is as important as facilitating dialogue. The goal of the America Talks is to connect at least 20,000 people in at least 10,000 conversations.

Carol Hottle is a volunteer with Crossing Party Lines who describes herself as a moderate Democrat.

She said the first conversation she had in the group was about the Electoral College. Before she started talking, Hottle began to wonder how much she knew about the subject.

What she knows now is that in these conversations, people have to rely on their feelings, experiences and personal knowledge.

"As you stay real and as you stay accessible through being real, then you give other people an opportunity to connect with you, whether or not they agree," said Hottle. "They can ask you questions, you can ask them questions, you can agree to disagree, but you both leave with respect."

Butch Sisavic has been participating with Crossing Party Lines over the past year and described himself as a libertarian with conservative leanings.

He said there are advantages to the organization going virtual during the pandemic - it allows people from all over the country and world to participate.

With political conversations becoming increasingly toxic, Sisavic said he has felt more isolated, but groups like Crossing Party Lines give him hope for the future.

"We have to move forward and the way to move forward, at least to understand each other's side and take steps, [is to] try to find places in the middle that makes progress," said Sisavic.

America Talks takes place June 12 and 13. The National Week of Conversation is June 14 through 20.

Across Utah, 10 cities will be using ranked choice voting in the general election in November.

In 2018, Utah passed a bill to establish a pilot program in which cities could use ranked choice voting.

Kelleen Potter, executive director of Utah Ranked Choice Voting, said the voting method "allows voters to express their will more fully." She pointed out ranked choice voting also encourages civility, especially among candidates who can work to appeal to more voters when they're looking to secure second- and third-choice support.

"So instead of this 'all or nothing' -- 'they're my friend, they're my enemy' -- you start looking at it differently, as a candidate and as a voter, where we're trying to come to a consensus and solve the problems we have in our jurisdictions, in our cities," Potter outlined.

Potter is convinced ranked choice voting is positive for democracy. In order for any candidate to be elected, they must receive 50% of the votes, unlike the current voting system. Potter added no voting method is perfect and said they are trying to educate Utahns and elections officials, some of whom have argued it is too confusing.

So far, they have found younger voters seem to be embracing the idea of ranked choice voting. Potter, who has run for public office herself, said the method is gaining popularity, but is taking longer in more conservative states. However, according to FairVote.org, Utah has the most cities of any state to be using ranked choice voting.

"We saw that in every city, over 50% of the voters liked it, and that ranged up to the 80s and 90s in some cities," Potter reported. "We find that voters, after they've used it, and it doesn't seem so scary, and they go, 'Oh yeah, this makes sense to me.' They tend to really like it."

Potter contended ranked choice voting also saves cities money by only needing to hold one general election in November, rather than an August primary followed by another election in November.


get more stories like this via email

While North Dakota does not have voter registration, civic engagement groups say efforts are still needed to help underserved populations get prepared to vote.

An event this week focused on helping Native American communities. Tuesday was National Voter Registration Day, and North Dakota Native Vote began its own outreach initiative. "Voter I-D Day" involved working with enrollment offices on reservations around the state, where members could come in and update their tribal ID.

Nicole Donaghy, executive director of the group, said it helps them comply with the state's strict requirements for casting a ballot. She pointed out the awareness issue still comes up in elections.

"Being on standby, we would have to explain the consent decree and how our relatives without proper ID should be able to cast their ballot, and then come back and have it verified," Donaghy explained.

The controversial law led to a consent decree in 2020 after some tribes brought legal challenges, arguing it placed extreme burdens on Indigenous communities. Donaghy noted this week's event saw 150 people update their IDs ahead of the 2024 election. She emphasized the outreach also helps county elections workers know how to review ID cards designed specifically for tribal members.

Donaghy added they continue to address more than just voting requirements. They are monitoring a ballot measure initiative still taking shape which would overhaul North Dakota elections. Among other things, it would ban early voting. Donaghy stressed if approved, the negative impact would be far-reaching.

"These decision-makers that are leading these efforts really don't consider their rural constituents and how this will impact, not only our tribal communities, but people that live very rural in North Dakota," Donaghy contended. "It creates hardships for people that do depend on mail-in ballots so that they can vote early."

Under the proposal, North Dakota would only use paper ballots, and all voting would essentially happen on Election Day with minor exceptions for those needing to vote absentee. Those behind the petition argue it is about restoring election integrity.

Arizonans could vote on a proposal next year some advocates said would make politics more equitable in the Grand Canyon State.

This week, the Make Elections Fair Arizona committee, made up of Republicans, Democrats and Independents, filed a citizens' initiative to amend the Arizona Constitution. It would require the state's future primary elections to be open to all candidates and voters, regardless of party affiliation. Arizona currently conducts partisan primaries.

Sarah Smallhouse, chair of the committee, said it is a challenge for independent or unaffiliated candidates and for the largest registered voter bloc in the state.

"It's fundamentally a question of fairness, of giving everyone an equal opportunity to participate in our political system without having to go through extra steps," Smallhouse contended. "For example, Independent candidates right now have to collect six times as many signatures to be on a General Election ballot."

Smallhouse pointed out unaffiliated and third-party voters pay taxes to fund the current partisan political system, leading to what her group sees as voter disenfranchisement. She acknowledged they expect to get pushback on the proposal from the major parties.

Beau Lane, co-chair of the committee, said the move could empower voters and lead to higher turnout. He noted Independents are often left feeling overlooked and not represented. Lane argued the proposal would also foster healthier competition among candidates, and cultivate what he called more of a "problem-solving approach," instead of, in his words, "the politics of contempt."

"You know, they want to look at the other side as the enemy and not somebody that they could actually cooperate with and get good policy put in place for the State of Arizona," Lane emphasized. "Polling indicates that is about where 70% of the people in Arizona want that type of political activity, of problem-solving."

The initiative has been filed with the Arizona Secretary of State. It will be reviewed and recommendations will be made to the committee. It should be finalized by the end of October, when the group can then work on gathering the estimated 500,000 signatures needed by next June to get it onto the November 2024 ballot.