Articles by Independent Voter Project

In most of the country independent voters, despite their growing numbers, are marginalized by closed partisan primary systems in which the winners are virtually pre-determined in low turnout primaries -- before independent voters can weigh in. Not so in California, where a decade-old non-partisan primary system lets all voters, including independents, vote in an open primary that advances the top two vote getters to the General Election, regardless of party. Although California’s nonpartisan s...

On November 19, a California judge will hear arguments to determine whether California’s presidential primary rules violate the constitutional rights of California’s 5.6 million “no party preference” voters. For presidential contests, the Golden State has some of the most confusing primary rules in the country for independent voters. By default, “no party preference” voters (NPPs) in the state are given a ballot without any presidential candidates at all. If they want to participate, they must...

For those familiar with California’s top-two nonpartisan primary, written by the Independent Voter Project, the election process may sound similar. However, there’s a very important distinction. ...

Many eyes are on Louisiana right now where the “jungle” primary over the weekend resulted in a “runoff” election in the gubernatorial race. The top two vote-getters, Democratic Governor John Bel Edwards and Republican businessman Eddie Rispone, will appear on a special runoff election ballot on November 16 because no candidate got 50%+1 of the vote. For those familiar with California’s top-two nonpartisan primary, written by the Independent Voter Project, the election process may sound similar...

The exclusionary presidential debate rules that prevent any candidate outside the Republican and Democratic Parties from participating is another critical cog in the anti-competitive electoral machine that is crippling our representative democracy....

San Diego’s KUSI News interviewed IVP attorney Chad Peace on the lawsuit against the California secretary of state. Peace discusses not only the lawsuit, but the solution that IVP proposed years ago that would have prevented the need for legal action. ICYMI: We're Suing the CA Secretary of State “How do we have a taxpayer-funded, a taxpayer-administered system, the most important political dialogue we have with the voters of this state, and then tell a class of voters … that you somehow have a...

IVP legal advisor Chad Peace joined KUSI's Paul Rudy to discuss the ongoing problems with the presidential primary, what it means for those who choose to register and run outside the major parties, and the Independent Voter Project's simple solution to fix the confusing and unconstitutional process. It is now well documented -- especially after the 2016 presidential primary -- how California's semi-closed system puts barriers in front of No Party Preference voters and candidates. “By the time...

Imagine that California’s 4.7 million Republican and 8.6 million Democrat voters were not able to vote for a presidential candidate of their choice in March 2020. And NO ONE seemed to care. California’s 5.6 million NPP voters don’t have to imagine, because for the state's second-largest voting bloc by a wide margin, this IS their reality. Even though California’s constitution requires an “open presidential primary,” meaning every voter is supposed to be able to vote for whomever they want, the...

Pundits ignore us. Primaries exclude us. Political scientists say we are just “closet partisans.” Nonsense. The Independent Voter Project (IVP) is a 501(c)4 organization that seeks to re-engage nonpartisan voters and promote nonpartisan election reform through initiatives, litigation, and voter education. We believe being independent is a mindset, not an ideology. It means thinking for yourself, having the confidence to allow free expression of opposing ideas, and being humble enough to learn...