<div>Independent Voter Podcast: Beyond Partisan Politics looks at the rhetoric establishment parties use to maintain control, and interviews U.S. Rep. Scott Peters from California’s 52nd district on the rough party rhetoric, as well as local San Diego issues.</div>

IVN Editorial

Party Bosses Threaten To Punish Their Own For Not Falling In Line

Editor's Note: This op-ed <a href="https://thefulcrum.us/electoral-reforms/open-primaries-campaigns">originally appeared</a> in the Fulcrum and has been republished on IVN with permission from the publisher. Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@mutecevvil">Ahmed on Unsplash</a>.

This was a big year for the open primaries movement. Seven state-level campaigns and one municipal. Millions of voters declaring their support for open primaries. New leaders emerging across the country. Primary elections for the first time at the center of the national reform debate.

4 Principles of Change Open Primary Advocates Must Embrace

Photo by <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/gageskidmore/">Gage Skidmore on Flickr</a>

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Shawn and Dan dive into the fragmentation within both parties, Elon Musk's entrance as a Republican power broker, and a recent poll showing a surprisingly high level of support for Donald Trump among people who voted for Jill Stein.

GOP vs GOP: Party Fragmentation in the New Congress

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In 2024, a historic number of statewide initiatives appeared on the ballot to open primary elections to all voters and candidates. Most of the initiatives failed, but reformers were successful in Washington DC. 

2024 Recap: Lessons Learned from the Successes and Failures of Statewide Primary Reform

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A new report shows that runoff elections are not only expensive, but in 2024 were less effective than in any other election in modern history at providing adequate representation.

A new report shows that runoff elections are not only expensive, but in 2024 were less effective than in any other election in modern history at providing adequate representation. 

Declining Voter Turnout and Rising Costs Highlight Problems with Runoff Elections, New Report Finds

Nonpartisan election reformers have chosen not to hang their head in defeat after a few statewide losses in 2024. Instead, their mood was surprisingly optimistic when they met in San Diego for the National Association of Nonpartisan Reformers’ (NANR) annual sum

Nonpartisan election reformers have chosen not to hang their head in defeat after a few statewide losses in 2024. Instead, their mood was surprisingly optimistic when they met in San Diego for the National Association of Nonpartisan Reformers’ annual summit.

Down, But Not Out: Nonpartisan Election Reformers Maintain Their Resolve

After the bruising losses of November, Democrats have begun aiming their pointy fingers at each other. But the real question isn’t whether the party is too progressive or not progressive enough—it’s whether the so-called “Big Tent” can truly hold everyone.

The Democratic Identity Crisis: Is the Big Tent Too Small?

Editor's Note: This article <a href="https://thefulcrum.us/electoral-reforms/worst-gerrymandered-districts">originally appeared</a> on The Fulcrum and has been republished on IVN with permission from the publisher.&nbsp;Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@ianhutchinson92?utm_content=credi

With two post-census election cycles in the books, congressional district maps are mostly set for the remainder of the decade – which means we will know the outcomes of the vast majority of House elections before voters even cast ballots in November 2026, 2028 and 2030.

The Worst Partisan Gerrymanders of the 2020s 

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In 2022, nearly 83% of voters in Evanston, Illinois, approved a city referendum to adopt ranked choice voting. The referendum stated that the first use of the new voting method wo

In 2022, nearly 83% of voters in Evanston, Illinois, approved a city referendum to adopt ranked choice voting. The referendum stated that the first use of the new voting method would be during the city's consolidated elections in April 2025.

Most Evanston Voters Said They Wanted Ranked Choice Voting, But Will They Get It?

The recount in Alaska over Ballot Measure 2 is complete. The state's Republican Party requested it after voters rejected the initiative and chose to keep their nonpartisan election system by a narrow margin. But as predicted on IVN, this margin wasn't narrow enough for the results to change.

The recount in Alaska over Ballot Measure 2 is complete. The state's Republican Party requested it after voters rejected the initiative and chose to keep their nonpartisan election system by a narrow margin. But as predicted on IVN, this margin wasn't narrow enough for the results to change.

As Expected, Alaska Measure 2 Recount Didn't Change Anything

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Citizen Data polled US voters following the 2024 elections and found that nearly half (47%) said they cast their ballot, not for the candidate they supported the most, b

Citizen Data polled US voters following the 2024 elections and found that nearly half (47%) said they cast their ballot, not for the candidate they supported the most, but for the candidate they determined was the 'lesser of two evils.'

New Poll: Half of US Voters Say They Voted For 'Lesser of Two Evils' in 2024

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After leading the city's turnaround, Detroit's Democratic Mayor Mike Duggan has opted to launch a bid for governor as an independent rather than enter into a primary race with his fellow Democrats. This is part of a larger trend in America where centrist politicians capable of building coalitions across the aisle often find their biggest opponents are members of their own party.

How to Save America's Vanishing Political Middle

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Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan has long been registered as a Democrat. But in 2026, he will run for governor in Michigan as an independent.

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan Drops Party Affiliation to Launch Independent Bid for Michigan Governor

Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@davidtoddmccarty?utm_content=creditCopyText&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_source=unsplash">David Todd McCarty</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/group-of-people-in-red-cap-and-blue-jacket-hdbcARBkIPE?utm_content=creditCopyText&amp;utm_medium=

Democratic policies such as raising the minimum wage and expanding access to health care poll highly among voters, yet the party supporting none of these positions just won the White House and both chambers of Congress.

Why Working-Class Voters Choose Culture Over Economics

Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@kate_gliz">Kateryna Hliznitsova on Unsplash</a>

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The research and data group, FM3 Research, polled voters in Portland, Oregon, to determine how well they understood ranked choice voting (RCV) after the city's first use of

The research and data group, FM3 Research, polled voters in Portland, Oregon, to determine how well they understood ranked choice voting (RCV) after the city's first use of it, including the unique use of proportional RCV for city council seats.

Exit Poll: 9-in-10 Portlanders Understood How to Fill Out Their Ranked Choice Ballot

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In 2024, Gallup found for the first time in the history of its polling that more than half of the electorate identified as independent. The biggest driver of this political shift

In 2024, Gallup found for the first time in the history of its polling that more than half of the electorate identified as independent. The biggest driver of this political shift are young voters, who enter voting age more independent than the generation before them.

Party Bosses Threaten To Punish Their Own For Not Falling In Line

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