Chad Peace - Independent Voter News

Embrace the Jungle: Why California's "Jungle Primary" Is Actually 115 Years of Reform Against Party Machines

The 115-year-old election system that Fox News and Sacramento operatives from both major parties are calling chaotic was specifically designed to stop the kind of party control they're now trying to claw back

By

Chad Peace

/ May 1, 2026

California Top Two Primary is under attack by party leaders. They just 'jungle primary' as a pejorative. We say embrace it.

Why Trump Really Hates Alaska's Ranked Choice Voting

President Trump called Alaska's ranked choice voting system "disastrous" and "very fraudulent" on Friday. He gave his "complete and total support" to the repeal effort heading to Alaska's 2026 ballot.

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Chad Peace

/ April 13, 2026

Trump EO Pushes Citizenship Verification and Mail Ballot Tracking Further Than SAVE Act Debate

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on March 31 directing federal agencies to build a new citizenship-verification system for federal elections and requiring the U.S. Postal Service to begin rulemaking on new standards for mailed ballots.

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Chad Peace

/ March 31, 2026

Donald Trump signing an executive order with voter registration documents, a passport, and mail ballot tracking materials on a presidential desk.

No, Trump Can’t Cancel Elections or Ban Ranked Choice Voting

A recent Independent Voter News article addressed alarms that the SAVE Act could become a vehicle for banning ranked choice voting nationwide, driven by President Donald Trump’s hostility toward mail voting and RCV and by Republican efforts to attach anti-RCV language to federal legislation.

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Chad Peace

/ February 3, 2026

No, Trump Can’t Cancel Elections or Ban Ranked Choice Voting

Trump’s Immigration Pivot Is Coming. Politically Smart, Legally Necessary

Immigration has always been a flashpoint in American politics. But in January 2026, it became a political liability for the White House, not just a policy debate. Interior immigration enforcement, ICE operations, and Fourth Amendment rights are now colliding in ways that are reshaping the national p

By

Chad Peace

/ January 30, 2026

Trump’s Immigration Pivot Is Coming. Politically Smart, Legally Necessary

Gavin Newsom, Ben Shapiro, and Donald Trump Finally Agree on a Major Voting Rights Issue

If you asked Gavin Newsom, Ben Shapiro, or Donald Trump whether they put voters first, all three would say yes. They would say it confidently. They would say it sincerely. But they aren’t being honest with themselves, or you.

By

Chad Peace

/ January 20, 2026

Gavin Newsom, Ben Shapiro, and Donald Trump Finally Agree on a Major Voting Rights Issue

California’s Governor Race Is a Democratic Nightmare, But There’s One Easy Fix

A new Emerson College poll of California’s 2026 governor’s race confirms what many election observers have suspected. California is entering a high stakes primary season with no clear front runners, a crowded field, and an election system where the outcome often depends less on voter preference and

By

Chad Peace

/ December 5, 2025

California’s Governor Race Is a Democratic Nightmare, But There’s One Easy Fix

Gerrymandering, California, and a Fight the Democrats Can Only Lose

California Democrats are getting ready for a fight they can’t win. And taxpayers will foot the bill for the privilege.

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Chad Peace

/ August 11, 2025

Gerrymandering, California, and a Fight the Democrats Can Only Lose

Don’t Blame Trump for Playing the Gerrymandering Game So Loudly

Gerrymandering wasn’t invented by Trump. It predates most states in the union. It’s named after Elbridge Gerry, who sliced up Massachusetts in 1812 to help his party, leaving behind a district so distorted it looked like a salamander.

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Chad Peace

/ August 8, 2025

Don’t Blame Trump for Playing the Gerrymandering Game So Loudly

Democrats Might Embrace Voter ID, To Kill the Nonpartisan Primary

California’s nonpartisan top-two primary and independent redistricting commission are widely viewed as two of the most voter-centric reforms in modern American politics. Yet new polling in the field suggests a push to roll both reforms back, and the strategy behind that effort is telling.

By

Chad Peace

/ July 25, 2025

Democrats Might Embrace Voter ID, To Kill the Nonpartisan Primary

Beyond Ranked Choice Voting: How We Count The Votes Matters

Ranked choice voting keeps winning headlines. New York City uses it in primaries, Maine uses it statewide, Alaska uses it with a nonpartisan primary, and advocates from Better Choices are pushing for more consensus.

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Chad Peace

/ July 24, 2025

Beyond Ranked Choice Voting: How We Count The Votes Matters

Want Fair Elections in New York City? Ranked Choice Isn’t Enough Without Open Primaries

A lot of people are talking about democracy reform in New York City, especially since the implementation of ranked choice voting. But while ranked choice voting in party primaries is novel, let’s be honest: it’s not “small-d” democratic. The fact is, the general election still uses a plurality votin

By

Chad Peace

/ May 28, 2025

Want Fair Elections in New York City? Ranked Choice Isn’t Enough Without Open Primaries