Reform For Illinois

11/08/2022

RFI's executive director Alisa Kaplan spoke to Diane Moca of Aurora's Talking Cities about how campaign donations can create the appearance - or reality - of elected officials who are focused on their own interest instead of the public interest.

11/04/2022

"Ranked-choice voting can make our politics more democratic and less divisive," Reform for Illinois' executive director Alisa Kaplan told Sarah Schulte of ABC 7 news.

Voters will be asked to vote "yes" or "no" on a ranked choice voting referendum that could change the way they vote in future municipal elections.

10/29/2022

"The legitimacy of our judiciary depends on people seeing judges as independent arbiters of the law. But the growing impact of megadonors can create the perception – or the reality – of judges indebted to billionaires, party leaders, or special interests."

Read Reform for Illinois' report on the big money in Illinois' Supreme Court races and how it might affect our judiciary.

Reform for Illinois assesses the growing role of megamoney in Illinois' Supreme Court races

10/29/2022

"Reform for Illinois’ Executive Director Alisa Kaplan said this method allows voters to make their voices heard and participate in the vote even if their main choice isn’t the most popular.

“You get several chances at influencing the outcome instead of just one,” she said. “You have a much bigger voice in the process.”

https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/evanston/ct-evr-rank-choice-voting-tl-1103-20221028-ljbgurtel5hyhgvmo6fzpea7vi-story.html

Rank the Vote FairVote Illinois FairVote

Proponents say that the rank choice voting system helps give voters more of a voice while detractors worry that the system is too confusing and could violate the spirit of one person, one vote.

06/23/2022

RFI's Executive Director writes that it’s time to take a holistic view of Chicago’s government and see if its basic structure might be causing some of its most persistent troubles.

It’s time to take a holistic view of Chicago’s government and see if its basic structure might be causing some of its most persistent troubles.

04/08/2022

Missed our Town Hall with Fritz Kaegi for Cook County Assessor and RFI Executive Director Alisa Kaplan? You're in luck! You can still watch it here.

Thanks to CAN TV for broadcasting it! They'll also be replaying it on cable:

Sunday, April 10th at 12 pm on Chicago cable channel 21

Tuesday, April 12th at 7 am and 7 pm on Chicago cable channel 27

Wednesday, April 13th at 5 am and 5 pm on Chicago cable channel 27

Join Alisa Kaplan for a conversation with Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi about the challenges and controversies facing his office and the role of an assess...

04/06/2022

Join us tonight, 4/6, at 6 PM for our Virtual Town Hall with Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi! Our Executive Director, Alisa Kaplan, will be moderating.

Register here.

Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: RFI Cook County Assessor Town Hall. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the webinar.

03/10/2022

Letting candidates collect digital signatures is a no-brainer that would make Illinois' democracy stronger.

Read Reform for Illinois' Executive Director Alisa Kaplan's op-ed in the The Chicago Sun-Times about how the current system benefits incumbents and party insiders, and how this simple reform could give voters a better pool of candidates to choose from.

Challenging petition signatures is a bustling business in Illinois that benefits incumbents, party insiders and wealthy candidates who know how to navigate the petition challenge labyrinth, or can afford to hire those who do.

03/10/2022

Ranked Choice Voting is gaining traction as a fairer, more democratic way to elect representatives, with New York City and states and towns around the country adopting it in the last few years.

Tonight, join Evanston mayor and former state senator Daniel Biss for a discussion of how RCV works and how it could benefit Illinois communities.

https://my.lwv.org/illinois/wheaton/event/civic-awareness-series-ranked-choice-voting?fbclid=IwAR0vjWYxXUtdZAADwAUJYYZjgHcEFd70B3rbQqx3BXCqN3_NwwH46nTqXt8

The League of Women Voters of Wheaton and Central Kane County and The Robert McCormick House at Cantigny Park invite you to a program on Ranked Choice Voting with Daniel Biss.

07/15/2021

(The Center Square) – The Illinois Legislative Inspector General announced she’s leaving the job at the end of the year because she says lawmakers have failed to bring about substantive