Democracy is more than picking a president.
Democracy is more than picking a president. Baimieng/Gino Santa Maria / Shutterstock.com

If you're sick of Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, The Intercept has a helpful list of cool ballot initiatives—measures in which voters have direct opportunities to turn progressive reforms into law—around the country. (Obviously, there are some fantastic initiatives and downballot candidates to support right here in Washington, too, if you haven't mailed in your ballot already.) Some of the highlights:

  • In Colorado, Amendment 69 could create a universal, single payer health care system.
  • In California, Proposition 69 would drive down the cost of medicine.
  • In Maine, the state could become the first to enact rank-choice voting—a system much friendlier to third parties and truly representative democracy.
  • Arizona, Colorado, Maine—like Washington—are all considering increasing the minimum wage.
  • California, Massachusetts, Maine, Arizona and Nevada all could legalize recreational marijuana.
  • Initiatives in Colorado and California would prohibit prisoners from being forced to do unpaid labor and expand opportunities for parole for nonviolent offenders, respectively.

One of the most exciting initiatives at the municipal level is in San Francisco, where there's a campaign to give 16- and 17-year-olds the right to vote. If this doesn't intuitively make sense to you, read this Vox explainer. Or watch this video of these badass kids—I defy you to not feel inspired:

UPDATE: King County's own Sheriff John Urquhart appears in a Maine TV advertisement promoting the legalization of pot, citing our own good results in Washington state: