The governor of Connecticut just signed an new election law that, among other things, allows parties to use their ballot line to endorse candidates of other parties. The Working Families Party, a strong a growing force in New York State politics, has won itself a big victory and will now surely start making bigger waves in Connecticut. Fusion voting, as this type of cross-endorsement is called, is an excellent tool for progressives to both pressure and support Democrats – that is, to strengthen Democratic candidates while explicitly advocating and organizing around progressive causes.
Efforts are being undertaken in New Mexico, Maine, Oregon, and Maryland to allow fusion voting, and the WFP hopes to add other states to the list soon. If you haven't already, definitely check out Dan Cantor's excellent series over the past week at TPM Cafe on the utility of fusion voting.