Beyond the Echo Chamber: A Roundup of Nonpartisan Election News -- November 10, 2015

Published: 10 Nov, 2015
1 min read

The latest headlines on nonpartisan voting rights from across the nation. Enjoy.

What Impact Could An Independent Run By Jim Webb Have on 2016?

Source:  Austin Plier, FairVote

My Take: An interesting piece exploring angles not often explored, including a role in the electoral vote outcome of a number of swing states--especially his native Virginia.

 

Unheard Voices: Why Aren’t More Californians Voting?

Source:  Caitlin Maple, PublicCEO

My Take:  While the article touches on the fact that large segments of the population are underrepresented at the polls and there is a seemingly endless discussion about this, one does wonder what is really being done to deal with it.

 

Top-Two Primaries, Third Parties, and the Rights of Individual Voters

Source: Chad Peace, San Diego City Beat

My Take: A good discussion of the institutional barriers placed on voter rights by the political parties--without an argument for less party involvement.

IVP Donate

 

Nonpartisan Primaries Put Power In The Hands Of The People

Source:  Tiani X.Coleman, The Monitor (Concord, NH)

My Take:  With 43% of New Hampshire voters having no party affiliation, the author, tired of the partisan fighting, is calling out for her state to join a growing movement.

 

What If The Parties Didn’t Run Primaries?

Source:  Russell Berman, The Atlantic

My Take:  An extensive look not only at Nebraska, which has a top-two primary for state legislative races, but the nationwide movement toward such reform, including in Congress.

 

How About A Debate Between Ds And Rs on Parties’ Beliefs?

Source: Bob Mercer, Black Hills (SD) Pioneer

Let Us Vote : Sign Now!

My Take:  It’s a look at voter frustration and how voters really no longer know what the parties actually stand for. From there, the article moves to remedies currently under discussion, including a nonpartisan primary. SOMETHING to make voters pay attention.

You Might Also Like

Ballrooms, Ballots, and a Three-Way Fight for New York
Ballrooms, Ballots, and a Three-Way Fight for New York
The latest Independent Voter Podcast episode takes listeners through the messy intersections of politics, reform, and public perception. Chad and Cara open with the irony of partisan outrage over trivial issues like a White House ballroom while overlooking the deeper dysfunctions in our democracy. From California to Maine, they unpack how the very words on a ballot can tilt entire elections and how both major parties manipulate language and process to maintain power....
30 Oct, 2025
-
1 min read
California Prop 50 gets an F
Princeton Gerrymandering Project Gives California Prop 50 an 'F'
The special election for California Prop 50 wraps up November 4 and recent polling shows the odds strongly favor its passage. The measure suspends the state’s independent congressional map for a legislative gerrymander that Princeton grades as one of the worst in the nation....
30 Oct, 2025
-
3 min read
bucking party on gerrymandering
5 Politicians Bucking Their Party on Gerrymandering
Across the country, both parties are weighing whether to redraw congressional maps ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Texas, California, Missouri, North Carolina, Utah, Indiana, Colorado, Illinois, and Virginia are all in various stages of the action. Here are five politicians who have declined to support redistricting efforts promoted by their own parties....
31 Oct, 2025
-
4 min read