Beginning May 14 an online election for Independent voters across California will be hosted by the Independent Voter Project and Everyone Counts. The Independent Preference Survey is a glimpse into what the future of democracy could look like.

ATTENTION: SURVEY NOW OPEN FOR EARLY VOTING

DID YOU GET A PIN? VOTE HERE

DON’T HAVE A PIN? VIEW THE DEMO

The election is set to create an endorsement process of candidates by Independent voters in the State. Independent voters in certain districts across California will be sent ID codes that allow them to vote in an Independent Preference Survey prior to the June 5 primary election. Results from the Survey will be published on the Independent Voter Network and sent to candidates in the races being polled.

Background

The Independent Voter Project (IVP) is a non-profit and non-partisan (501(c)4) organization dedicated to better informing voters about important public policy issues and to encouraging non-partisan voters to participate in the electoral process.

IVP was founded in 2006 by Co-Chairman Steve Peace following the culmination of his career in state government as a member of the Assembly, the Senate, and as the State’s Finance Director.  Mr. Peace saw the increased polarization of public policy debate and decisions and imagined a process by which those voters and citizens who had become increasingly disenfranchised and disillusioned by the public decision-making process could again become active participants.  Evidence of this trend can be found in the decreasing percentage of voters registered with traditional political parties and the rapidly increasing number who register as independents, otherwise known as decline-to-state voters or non-partisan voters.  The result was the California Independent Voter Project.

Initial Work

Since 2006, IVP has focused on ensuring that non-partisan – decline-to-state (DTS) – voters know their rights under California’s complex primary laws which allowed them to vote in most partisan primaries only upon requesting a “Party” (e.g. Democrat or Republican) ballot.

By educating voters about the steps needed to participate in primary elections, IVP has successfully increased DTS turnout in California’s elections. IVP conducted extensive research and experimental voter education programs targeted at independent voters in 2006, 2008, and 2010. From the 2006 to 2010 midterm elections, IVP increased independent voter turnout by 419,917 voters.

Mission, Vision, Goals and Principles

Vision:  A political environment where non-partisan voters can participate actively and effectively in local, regional, state and federal public policy decisions.

Mission:  To provide voters with politically neutral, accurate, and reliable information about important public policy issues and to encourage non-partisan voters to vote and to participate in public dialogue about policy decisions.

Goals:  IVP has developed the following overall goals to fulfill its mission:

  1. To establish broad public awareness about voters’ rights to register as non-partisan while retaining the right to vote on the partisan ballot of their choice.
  2. To create a climate about individual issues where otherwise disenfranchised or disinterested voters will become active in the dialogue surrounding public policy decisions.
  3. To be fearless in telling the “untold stories” that often cloud public policy debate and make the public dialogue less meaningful than it needs to be.
  4. To be innovative in the use of the Internet and new technologies that help the public visualize and understand complex issues.

Principles:  IVP bases its work on the following principles:

  1. To seek improvement in public dialogue by giving credit to others while minimizing credit to IVP.
  2. To recognize the importance of the balance and political tension between populist views and the views of the economic community.
  3. To be non-partisan and non-political in fairly and equitably bringing information, options, and ideas to the public.
  4. To be willing to be wrong and to correct information in an open and honest manner.

PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS

The Independent Voter Project’s work is spread across four focused areas:

Independent Voter Network (IVN.us)

The Independent Voter Network (IVN) is a news platform for communication between independent-minded voters, public officials, civic leaders, and journalists.  IVN is dedicated to restoring the importance of open dialogue, engagement, and constructive compromise in our political system, unfiltered by the partisanship that drives the larger public dialogue.   Go to www.IVN.us to experience and participate in the Independent Voter Network.

Open Primary Protection

Proposition 14 gave 3.8 million decline to state voters the right to vote for the candidate of their choice, no matter what the party affiliation of the voter or the candidate.  IVP strenuously defends this victory to ensure these voters are empowered now and in the future.  For more information, go to IVP’s Open Primary page hosted on the www.IVN.us platform.

Election Reform

Proposition 14 was a critical victory in voter rights.  IVP will continue to seek reform in the election process that will provide additional voting rights and advancement of non-partisan decision-making both in California and elsewhere.  IVP’s work, including the extensive use of focus groups consisting of independent voters and swing partisan voters, has provided a unique understanding of the emerging electorate that will assist efforts to enact much needed government reforms.  As interest groups grapple with controversial plans to reform the tax structure, independent voters will be the key to passing any reform initiatives.  IVN believes increasing independent voter turnout, driven by IVP’s voter education programs, will have a profound effect on future reform initiatives.  As information becomes available about future reforms, they will be announced on www.IVN.us.

Extending the Reach

To extend the California experience across the nation, IVP is reaching out to those concerned with the status of our electoral system all across the country.  IVP recognizes that national programs to extend voter rights to disenfranchised publics have historically begun in one state and then spread to others before those changes become institutionalized by federal law.  A key example is the federal law giving women the right to vote.  In 1890, Wyoming became the first state to constitutionally allow women to vote.  Thirty years later, in 1920, the 19th amendment was passed giving the right to vote to all women in the U.S.

In recognition of the need to expand the Open Primary process across the country, IVP has launched initiatives in Arizona and Texas to replicate the public education and reform processes already underway in California.

Expanding Independent Voter Turnout

IVP conducted extensive research and experimental voter education programs targeted at independent voters in 2006, 2008, and 2010. From the 2006 to 2010 midterm elections, IVP increased independent voter turnout by 419,917 voters.

Research and Conferences

IVP  bases its work on finding good information and  researching critical topics relative to public policy and reform.

IVP regularly hosts conferences convening a blend of elected officials and interest groups to jointly hear experts speak on various topics important to timely policy discussions.  The purposes of the conferences are two-fold.  First, interest group leaders and elected officials rarely have time to duly consider background information about these important policy issues.  The IVP conferences provide that background from a variety of viewpoints.  Secondly, there is rarely a time and place for elected officials and diverse interest groups to gather around a table and discuss the options that might lead to solutions to the policy questions of the day.  The IVP conferences provide a setting, away from the Capitol, to both consider expert information and to engage in discussions about those policy matters.  Both interest group representatives and elected officials find this time valuable.

In addition, IVP commissions polls and focus groups to gain an understanding of how the public responds to and is thinking a about public policy and the decision making and electoral processes.  This research informs IVP’s programs and projects.