Articles by Jeff Powers

Rep. Justin Amash (I-MI) is (probably) running for president. Amash has toyed with the idea for over a year: Describing himself as an ideal third-party candidate at libertarian conferences and posting cryptic tweets about Americans “deserving another option." But as the months dragged on—the Libertarian party held primary after primary, debate after debate—and Amash remained an onlooker. Speculation began that his flirtation with a national campaign was a ploy to boost fundraising for his camp...

Independent Voting, the national organizing center for the 45% of Americans who self-identify as independents, has launched a unique national voter survey to capture the concerns of America’s independents and independent-minded citizens in the midst of this current pandemic. The survey focuses on a number of key threads: what it means to be independent in 2020, the Coronavirus crisis and the crisis of partisanship, and how independents can maximize their power in the months and years ahead. “T...

“For a virus which thrives on destroying humanity, Covid-19 might just accomplish the opposite,  reignite our humanity and respect for one another.” The Covid-19 news has been so continually grim, it’s brought us pain on many fronts including the loss of life, liberty, and meaningful human interaction, but maybe unexpectedly, the virus is also forcing us to radically examine our everyday lives, which will in turn, have lasting and important impacts on our communities far into the future. Hab...

The US Supreme Court blocked an attempt to delay voting in Wisconsin's presidential primary over the coronavirus pandemic. The 5-4 vote reversed an order that would have extended the absentee ballot deadline for voting in the Wisconsin. Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers signed an executive order suspending in-person voting Monday after failing to convince the Wisconsin state legislature to postpone elections until May. The Supreme Court was considering a case brought before Evers issued his execu...

Tallahassee, FL - In a stunning rebuke of the Repunlican and Democratic parties and Attorney General Ashley Moody, the Florida Supreme Court cleared the way for voters to decide whether to overhaul the state’s primary-election system The ruling will be on the November 2020 ballot so voters can decide whether to replace Florida's closed primary system with a nonpartisan top two system for state offices. In a 4-1 decision, justices approved the proposed constitutional amendment that would allow ...

"I want to be an active mayor that focuses on solving real problems. That would be a marked change from recent years." ~ Assemblyman Todd Gloria, 2020 Mayoral Candidate San Diego, Calif.- Assemblyman Todd Gloria has a plan. A plan to get the city moving again. A champion for housing solutions, Gloria is ready to curb the crisis. He has a plan for homelessness, the convention center expansion, and ending the much publicized feud between the fire and lifeguard departments. In a revealing inter...

On the eve of the Democrat debates, Peter Ackerman, chairman of Level the Playing Field, joined our podcast to talk about a bigger debate fight going into 2020. Ackerman’s group is engaging in an effort to make our Presidential debates more inclusive, which is why his group is suing the Federal Elections Commission. Ackerman joined Jeff Powers to discuss the current rules in place that he says not only discourage a candidate not affiliated with the two-party system from competing on the nationa...

San Diego, Calif.- No Party Preference (NPP) and American Independent (AI) voters in California are likely going to be confused when their ballot arrives for the March 2020 presidential primary as they will have no option for president. The same issue arose in the 2016 presidential primary for Bernie Sanders supporters, which set off a firestorm of controversy. Now, 4 years later, the state is offering a band-aid "solution" that increases communication to NPP voters, but doesn't change their a...

San Diego, Calif.- San Diego Union-Tribune Columnist Michael Smolens joined me for a wide-ranging conversation about the many political issues facing the City of San Diego and State of California. In our latest IVN Podcast, Smolens had strong comments on City Councilman Mark Kersey moving from Republican to Independent, the chance that the convention center expansion passes in March 2020, and the substantive changes needed for the 2020 ballot to avoid the same issue we saw in 2016 with NPP vote...