Lunch with League, Aug 2023

Lunch with League, Aug 2023

Photo of Arash Sayadi

Location

Back Bay Conference Center
3415 Michelson Drive
Irvine California 92612
California US
Wednesday, August 16, 2023 - 11:15am to 1:30pm

Speaker: Arash Sayadi, RCV Advocate

Topic: How Ranked Choice Voting Can Change our Politics

Registration Closed.  Event Sold Out.

We've all noticed how social media and outrage-driven news coverage are tearing us apart. The politicians and their actions feed this system too.

However, our issues with hyper-partisanship, mud-slinging elections, and turf wars leading to poor or unusable policies may not be due to the media or even the politicians.  Our system of elections, HOW we elect people in our cities, our state, and our country is the single biggest factor in our government’s dysfunction. However helpless we may feel in the face of all that we hear and see, our electoral system is one that We The People have the power to change.

Our current plurality system of elections creates the wrong incentives that bring out the worst in our politicians during and after elections.  With Ranked Choice Voting we can change all of that and encourage the courage to run for people with under-represented ideologies and groups. And we can select politicians who are elected by and work for the majority, addressing their will.

Come join us as we explore how Ranked Choice Voting can change our politics and how we solve our most pressing environmental, social and economics issues, and learn how you can be part of bringing Ranked Choice Voting to your city and our state!
 

Speaker Bio: 

Arash Sayadi is a software tech industry veteran and comes from a long line of political activists spanning over a century.  Though he had dabbled in political activism in his teens and twenties, he became fully activated in the last ten years having seen the hyperpartisanship we've all experienced.
 
With a background in systems thinking, and after reading about various solution options for our state of politics, he honed in on changes needed in our underlying system of elections that has the wrong inherent incentives for politicians, leading them to behave poorly and promote the worst behaviors on the left and right.  Our broken election system means that, at best, we have stalemates in addressing our ever-pressing political, social, and environmental conservation needs, and, at worst, the eruption of violence and lack of trust in our government.
 
After speaking with the leadership at CalRCV, among other forward thinkers, he realized Ranked Choice Voting may be the best path to upgrade our election systems, and, CalRCV, the best organization to accomplish it for all of us Californians.

He's a native Orange County resident since 1983, with a five year stint living in Northern California too.

Buffet Lunch

Cost $26 / person
Choose from the following two entrees:
  1. Roast Beef with au jus or Boneless Chicken Breast with mushroom sauce (Potatoes au Gratin; Steamed Vegetables; Rolls; Mixed Green Salad; Drink; Dessert)
  2. Cheese Enchilada (vegetarian)  (Mixed Green Salad; Drink; Dessert)

Reservations

Reservations are required.
Reservations Open!  Please reserve early — we “sold-out” the last two LwL Events
Reservations close when event sells out or noon on August 11th, whichever comes first.

Contact Information
events [at] lwvorangecoast.org
Issues referenced by this event: 

Tags:

This event is related to which committees: 
Orange Coast - GovernmentOrange Coast - Voter Service Committee