Andrew Gripp - Independent Voter News

Fight Continues to End Corruption in a State Plagued by Scandals

The South Dakota State Legislature fully repealed a major anti-corruption law earlier this year that voters approved in November 2016. But voters in the state may get a second chance

By Andrew Gripp

/ July 25, 2017

Fight Continues to End Corruption in a State Plagued by Scandals

Faithless Electors Test Power of Parties

On Monday, December 19, electors from across the country gathered to cast the official votes for president. Of the 538 votes that were tallied, seven came from faithless electors – electors

By Andrew Gripp

/ December 23, 2016

Faithless Electors Test Power of Parties

Sanders-Backed 'Our Revolution' Scores Major Victories on Election Day

In August, just one month after the Democratic National Convention, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders announced the launch of Our Revolution, a non-profit organization dedicated to keeping his progressive movement alive

By Andrew Gripp

/ November 10, 2016

Sanders-Backed 'Our Revolution' Scores Major Victories on Election Day

How Super PACs and Candidates Legally (and Illegally) Coordinate Their Efforts

In its ruling in the Citizens United case of 2010, the Supreme Court decided that organizations that are wholly independent of candidates could spend unlimited sums of money to influence

By Andrew Gripp

/ October 26, 2016

How Super PACs and Candidates Legally (and Illegally) Coordinate Their Efforts

OPINION: A Single Headline Cannot Contain All the Reasons to Oppose S.D.’s Nonpartisan Top-Two Proposal

In November, voters in South Dakota will decide whether to pass Amendment V. If passed, the measure will institute a nonpartisan primary much like the one in Washington state. Under

By Andrew Gripp

/ October 6, 2016

OPINION: A Single Headline Cannot Contain All the Reasons to Oppose S.D.’s Nonpartisan Top-Two Proposal

A Spot on the Ballot: Alternative Candidates, the Supreme Court, and the Long Fight for Inclusive Elections (Part 2 of 2)

This article is Part 2 in a two-part series reviewing Supreme Court ballot access decisions and the effects of the Court's precedents on independent and third party candidates.

By Andrew Gripp

/ September 7, 2016

A Spot on the Ballot: Alternative Candidates, the Supreme Court, and the Long Fight for Inclusive Elections (Part 2 of 2)

The Transpartisan, Grassroots Movement to Overturn Citizens United is Gaining Serious Momentum

In recent years, there have been several top-down attempts to overturn the Supreme Court's decision in Citizens United. That decision, made in 2010, birthed legal entities known as

By Andrew Gripp

/ September 6, 2016

The Transpartisan, Grassroots Movement to Overturn Citizens United is Gaining Serious Momentum

A Spot on the Ballot: Alternative Candidates, the Supreme Court, and the Long Fight for Inclusive Elections (Part 1 of 2)

Ballot Access in Historical Context Over the last several decades, the percentage of Americans who self-identify as independents has climbed to above 40 percent while attachment to the Democratic and

By Andrew Gripp

/ September 2, 2016

A Spot on the Ballot: Alternative Candidates, the Supreme Court, and the Long Fight for Inclusive Elections (Part 1 of 2)

Sanders Launches "Our Revolution" to Extend the Progressive Movement

Before a crowd in his home start of Vermont and speaking to supporters attending more than 2,600 watch parties across the country, Senator Bernie Sanders announced on August 24

By Andrew Gripp

/ August 29, 2016

Sanders Launches "Our Revolution" to Extend the Progressive Movement

Post-Citizens United, Is Foreign Money Pouring into Our Elections?

Federal law states that foreign governments, corporations, and individuals cannot spend money on elections in the United States. Yet following the Citizens United decision in 2010, some – including President Obama

By Andrew Gripp

/ August 26, 2016

Post-Citizens United, Is Foreign Money Pouring into Our Elections?

OPINION: The Socialist Critique – What It Is and Why We Need It

The "S" Word Americans are dissatisfied with the state of the economy – a topic that is bound to receive considerable attention this election season. In explaining why GDP

By Andrew Gripp

/ August 24, 2016

OPINION: The Socialist Critique – What It Is and Why We Need It

Ballot Access Blues: Controversial Cases From the 2016 Election Cycle

As with past election cycles, third party and independent candidates – as well as initiatives aimed at reducing the power of the two major parties – are struggling to achieve access to

By Andrew Gripp

/ August 19, 2016

Ballot Access Blues: Controversial Cases From the 2016 Election Cycle