The Independent Voter Project (IVP) is a non-profit, non-partisan, non-political (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.
The California Independent Voter Project (IVP) is a non-profit, 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 as the California Independent Voter Project in 2006 in response to the increased polarization of public policy debate and decisions. The organization’s founders 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 Independent Voter
Project.
By educating voters about the steps needed to participate in primary elections, IVP has successfully increased independent voter 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.
IVP authored Proposition 14, which was approved by the voters in June 2010. Th is Top Two Candidates Open Primary Act gave 3.8 million independent voters the right to vote for the candidate of their choice, no matter what the party affi liation of the voter or the candidate.
IVP has a four-pronged approach to ensure independent voters are empowered now and in the future.
- Development of the Independent Voter Network (IVN), a news platform f or communication between independent-minded voters, public officials, civic leaders, and journalists (www.IVN.us).
- Defending the open primary through voter and candidate education like this voter guide and other means.
- Researching and promoting additional election reforms.
- Expanding the reach of election reform to other states.