Damon Eris

Damon Eris wrote a new post, Cautious support for Governor Brown’s budget proposal and tax initiative, on the site Election Center 7 months, 2 weeks ago

Though there is strong support for individual aspects of Governor Jerry Brown’s 2012-2013 budget proposal, Californians are more conflicted over the plan as a whole, according to a wide-ranging survey published by […]

Damon Eris wrote a new post, Study: In-person Voter Fraud is Virtually Non-Existent, on the site Independent Voter Network 8 months, 4 weeks ago

A new study of voter fraud over the last twelve years finds that, though cases of such fraud can indeed be found throughout the United States, they are “infinitesimal” in number, and that cases of in-person […]

Damon Eris wrote a new post, Civil Liberties Ignored by Republican and Democratic Campaigns, on the site Independent Voter Network 9 months ago

It is extremely revealing that the topic of civil rights and liberties is all but absent from the campaigns of the Democratic and Republican party presidential candidates. Concerned citizens will search in […]

Damon Eris wrote a new post, Civil Liberties Ignored by Republican and Democratic Campaigns, on the site Election Center 9 months ago

It is extremely revealing that the topic of civil rights and liberties is all but absent from the campaigns of the Democratic and Republican party presidential candidates. Concerned citizens will search in […]

Damon Eris wrote a new post, Gary Johnson Calls for Constitutionally Sound Presidential Debate Process, on the site Independent Voter Network 9 months ago

Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson has written an open letter to the so-called Commission on Presidential Debates urging the organization to include all qualified candidates in the series of […]

Damon Eris wrote a new post, Gary Johnson Calls for Constitutionally Sound Presidential Debate Process, on the site Election Center 9 months ago

Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson has written an open letter to the so-called Commission on Presidential Debates urging the organization to include all qualified candidates in the series of […]

Damon Eris wrote a new post, Why Don’t Americans Vote? The Great Depression of Voter Turnout, on the site Independent Voter Network 9 months, 1 week ago

If history is any guide, this year there will be more eligible voters who refuse to cast a ballot in the presidential election than there will be who vote for the eventual winner. In the 2008 presidential […]

Damon Eris wrote a new post, Why Don’t Americans Vote? The Great Depression of Voter Turnout, on the site Election Center 9 months, 1 week ago

If history is any guide, this year there will be more eligible voters who refuse to cast a ballot in the presidential election than there will be who vote for the eventual winner. In the 2008 presidential […]

Damon Eris wrote a new post, Congress Approval Rating Hits All-Time Low Despite 90% Reelection Rate, on the site Independent Voter Network 9 months, 1 week ago

In today’s highly polarized political environment, it seems there are few things on which Democrats and Republicans can agree. Among the American public, however, a broad new consensus has emerged uniting […]

Damon Eris wrote a new post, Congress Approval Rating Hits All-Time Low Despite 90% Reelection Rate, on the site Election Center 9 months, 1 week ago

In today’s highly polarized political environment, it seems there are few things on which Democrats and Republicans can agree. Among the American public, however, a broad new consensus has emerged uniting […]

Damon Eris wrote a new post, Trends: Party Affiliation vs. Political Representation, on the site Independent Voter Network 9 months, 2 weeks ago

What is party affiliation? For many Americans, party affiliation undoubtedly plays a significant role in how they understand themselves with respect to our political system and contextualize their place in our […]

Damon Eris wrote a new post, Trends: Party Affiliation vs. Political Representation, on the site Election Center 9 months, 2 weeks ago

What is party affiliation? For many Americans, party affiliation undoubtedly plays a significant role in how they understand themselves with respect to our political system and contextualize their place in our […]

Damon Eris wrote a new post, Fusion voting and independent politics, on the site Independent Voter Network 9 months, 2 weeks ago

Fusion voting was once ubiquitous in the United States, legal in every state of the union. With the rise of relatively powerful third party and independent political movements in the late nineteenth century, […]

Damon Eris wrote a new post, What Are Your Favored Electoral Reforms?, on the site Independent Voter Network 9 months, 2 weeks ago

In our nation today, there are likely a great many Americans who view the Republican-Democrat two-party state as a natural product of our political process. Yet nothing could be further from the truth. The […]

Damon Eris wrote a new post, Poll: 19% Support for Libertarian Gary Johnson, on the site Election Center 9 months, 3 weeks ago

Libertarian Party presidential candidate Gary Johnson received 19% support in poll published late last week. The survey, commissioned by the Libertarian Action Super PAC, was geared specifically to confront […]

Damon Eris wrote a new post, Poll: 19% Support for Libertarian Gary Johnson, on the site Independent Voter Network 9 months, 3 weeks ago

Libertarian Party presidential candidate Gary Johnson received 19% support in poll published late last week. The survey, commissioned by the Libertarian Action Super PAC, was geared specifically to confront […]

Damon Eris wrote a new post, Do You Vote for the Lesser Evil?, on the site Independent Voter Network 9 months, 3 weeks ago

It is commonplace in our politics today to view the decision between a Democrat and a Republican is nothing more than a forced choice between competing evils. It can be difficult, however, to find data that […]

Damon Eris wrote a new post, Do You Vote for the Lesser Evil?, on the site Election Center 9 months, 3 weeks ago

It is commonplace in our politics today to view the decision between a Democrat and a Republican is nothing more than a forced choice between competing evils. It can be difficult, however, to find data that […]

Damon Eris wrote a new post, Report: Police Response to Occupy Protests Violates Constitutional Rights, on the site Independent Voter Network 9 months, 4 weeks ago

Last week, a team of legal experts filed a complaint with New York City, the U.S. Department of Justice and the United Nations calling on New York City to take immediate action to reform the NYPD’s practice of […]

Damon Eris wrote a new post, Wealth Inequality and the Anti-Oligarchy Amendment, on the site Independent Voter Network 10 months ago

Economic inequality has been steadily growing in the United States over the last three decades. Since 1980, the real after-tax income of the top 1% of earners has increased by 277%, while that of the bottom […]

Damon Eris wrote a new post, Obtain Voter ID: The Fifth Wednesday of Any Month, on the site Independent Voter Network 10 months ago

The United States has some of the lowest voter turnout and voter participation rates of any industrialized country in the world. Low voter turnout is typically ascribed to voter ignorance and apathy or to the […]

Damon Eris wrote a new post, New Bill Would Create Intellectual Property Czar, on the site Independent Voter Network 10 months ago

This year, supporters of digital rights and internet freedom have achieved a number of significant political victories against the proponents of draconian regulation and censorship of digital content in both […]

Damon Eris wrote a new post, Confidence in TV News at New Low, on the site Independent Voter Network 10 months, 1 week ago

Americans’ confidence in television news has fallen to a new low. According to a newly-published Gallup survey, just 21% of adults state that they have a “great deal” or “quite a lot” of confidence in […]

Damon Eris commented on the post, Confidence in TV News at New Low, on the site Independent Voter Network 10 months, 1 week ago

Indeed, I pretty much stopped watching tv news altogether a few years ago. I’ve read that it remains quite popular among Beltway types and journalists, which it itself is quite a sad commentary. For me the real […]

Damon Eris commented on the post, Confidence in TV News at New Low, on the site Independent Voter Network 10 months, 1 week ago

I think there have been some studies test people’s basic level of knowledge regarding current events, while correlating with their media/news consumption habits. If I remember correctly, I think it’s been found […]

Damon Eris wrote a new post, Texas Defends Voter ID Law in Court, on the site Independent Voter Network 10 months, 2 weeks ago

This week the state of Texas is arguing its case in support of the state’s new voter ID law in the US District Court for the District of Columbia. The law, which was passed last year, requires voters to […]

Damon Eris wrote a new post, Texas Defends Voter ID Law in Court, on the site Election Center 10 months, 2 weeks ago

This week the state of Texas is arguing its case in support of the state’s new voter ID law in the US District Court for the District of Columbia. The law, which was passed last year, requires voters to […]

Damon Eris commented on the post, Polling and Prejudice: The Third Party Presidential Vote, on the site Independent Voter Network 10 months, 2 weeks ago

In what sense doesn’t it matter? According to Gallup’s data, when they ask people if they support Obama or Romney, and don’t provide any other options, it’s a tie. When choices are included that will actually […]

Damon Eris wrote a new post, Polling and Prejudice: The Third Party Presidential Vote, on the site Election Center 10 months, 2 weeks ago

Recent polls show a highly competitive race between the Democratic and Republican party candidates for president. However, it appears that when polling organizations present the public with a more accurate […]

Damon Eris wrote a new post, Polling and Prejudice: The Third Party Presidential Vote, on the site Independent Voter Network 10 months, 2 weeks ago

Recent polls show a highly competitive race between the Democratic and Republican party candidates for president. However, it appears that when polling organizations present the public with a more accurate […]

Damon Eris wrote a new post, Civic Illiteracy and the Two-Party System, on the site Independent Voter Network 10 months, 3 weeks ago

In 2008, the Intercollegiate Studies Institute conducted a national survey testing the basic civic literacy of the American public. The poll of 2,508 individuals asked such simple questions as “What are the […]

Damon Eris wrote a new post, Independence Day: the Redress of Grievances, on the site Independent Voter Network 10 months, 3 weeks ago

Happy Independence Day! On July 4th, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Continental Congress. The opening lines of this document are among the most famous in the English language. Less well […]

Damon Eris commented on the post, It’s Arguably Never Been Safer to Be a Police Officer Despite Claims to the Contrary, on the site Independent Voter Network 10 months, 3 weeks ago

Good article and well balanced. For anyone who may be interested, a great resource tracking the breadth and depth of police violence against the people of the United States is the National Police Misconduct […]

Damon Eris wrote a new post, Partisans Anonymous: 12 Steps to Political Independence, on the site Independent Voter Network 11 months ago

In our politics today, there are few things more surreal than the spectacle of professional Republicans and Democrats bemoaning the state of partisanship and polarization in our country. In such moments of […]

Damon Eris wrote a new post, Alternative Candidates in Majority of Gov, Senate & House Races, on the site Independent Voter Network 11 months ago

One of the most enduring myths in US politics is the assertion that there are no alternatives to the candidates of the Democratic and Republican parties. Many would-be voters who are fed up with the forced […]

Damon Eris wrote a new post, Is It Time to Reform the Electoral College?, on the site Independent Voter Network 11 months ago

Following the controversies surrounding the presidential election of 2000, in which George W. Bush lost the popular vote but won the presidency, there was renewed interest in reforming the Electoral College […]

Damon Eris wrote a new post, NYC: A Silent March Against Stop and Frisk, on the site Independent Voter Network 11 months, 1 week ago

On Sunday, tens of thousands of New Yorkers took to the streets of Manhattan for a silent march in protest of the NYPD’s controversial stop and frisk policy. With the coordination of the NAACP, the march […]

Damon Eris wrote a new post, Independent Angus King Takes Strong Lead in Maine Senate Race, on the site Independent Voter Network 11 months, 1 week ago

A new poll commissioned by WBUR radio news in Boston finds that Independent Angus King has a commanding lead in the race to replace US Senator Olympia Snowe in Maine. Asked who they would support in the race […]

Damon Eris wrote a new post, Independent Angus King Takes Strong Lead in Maine Senate Race, on the site Election Center 11 months, 1 week ago

A new poll commissioned by WBUR radio news in Boston finds that Independent Angus King has a commanding lead in the race to replace US Senator Olympia Snowe in Maine. Asked who they would support in the race […]

Damon Eris wrote a new post, The Coming Independent Majority, on the site Independent Voter Network 11 months, 2 weeks ago

There are more self-identified Independents in the United States today than there have been at any point in the last seventy years. This is just one of the findings from the Pew Research Center’s annual <a […]

Damon Eris wrote a new post, Jesse Ventura: Political Gangs Taking Over Country, on the site Independent Voter Network 11 months, 2 weeks ago

Is it time to abolish the Democratic and Republican parties? Jesse Ventura thinks so. The outspoken Independent and former governor of Minnesota put forward the proposal in an interview with Piers Morgan on […]

Damon Eris wrote a new post, Independents Call for Congressional Hearings on Disenfranchisement, on the site Independent Voter Network 11 months, 2 weeks ago

Independents around the country are calling on Congress to hold hearings investigating the disenfranchisement of Independents from the political process. The campaign, launched by IndependentVoting.org, aims […]

Damon Eris wrote a new post, The Politics of Social Networking, on the site Independent Voter Network 11 months, 2 weeks ago

It is often claimed that in today’s media environment, people effectively cordon themselves off into the ideological equivalent of gated communities, sheltering themselves from alternative viewpoints and […]

Damon Eris wrote a new post, Thick as Thieves: Ethics in State Government, on the site Independent Voter Network 11 months, 2 weeks ago

Over the last ten years, Americans’ trust in their government has plummeted to all time lows. Across a wide array of polls and surveys, fewer than 20% of us believe our government can be trusted to do the […]

Damon Eris wrote a new post, Independent Overview: CA Primary Preliminary Results, on the site Independent Voter Network 11 months, 3 weeks ago

With 100% of precincts now reporting, it appears that California’s first statewide test of its new top two open primary system did not result in higher levels of voter turnout, as had been predicted by […]

Damon Eris wrote a new post, Independent Overview: CA Primary Preliminary Results, on the site Election Center 11 months, 3 weeks ago

With 100% of precincts now reporting, it appears that California’s first statewide test of its new top two open primary system did not result in higher levels of voter turnout, as had been predicted by […]

Damon Eris wrote a new post, California to Begin First Statewide Test of Top Two Open Primary, on the site Independent Voter Network 11 months, 3 weeks ago

On Tuesday, voters in California will head to the polls for the first statewide primary election to be held under the state’s new top two primary system, adopted by voters in a ballot initiative in June 2010. […]

Damon Eris wrote a new post, Go Ahead: Throw Your Vote Away, on the site Independent Voter Network 11 months, 4 weeks ago

When one urges support for third party or Independent candidates for elected office, the response from partisans of the Republican and Democratic parties is fairly predictable. Perhaps their most common retort […]

Damon Eris wrote a new post, Americans Elect and Independent Strategy, on the site Independent Voter Network 1 year ago

As W.E. Messamore reported here at IVN yesterday, no candidate for the Americans Elect nomination for president reached the organization’s internal threshold to qualify for its online nominating […]

Damon Eris wrote a new post, European Elections: Pirates on the Horizon, on the site Independent Voter Network 1 year ago

In the last two weeks, European elections have given rise to a wave of anti-incumbent and anti-austerity sentiment among voters in France, Greece and even Germany, where the Pirate Party continues to expand […]

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