Sure the super rich and powerful want us to accept our powerlessness. But we are not! Since the rule of white male aristocrats, the struggle to tamp down voting has been consistent and largely successful. The are determined to hold power. But not only is that not supposed to be how it works n a republic, but there is ample reason for optimism going forward to the next election. In his new book, Vote for US, How to Take Back Our Elections and Change the Future of Voting, author and law professor Joshua A.Douglas gives examples of average people, “Democracy Champions,” making great strides at the local level to increase voting participation. Ranked choice voting and enabling 16 year olds to vote are just some of the ways to increase democracy.