Shawn Griffiths
Shawn is an election reform expert and National Editor of IVN.us. He studied history and philosophy at the University of North Texas. He joined the IVN team in 2012.
Articles by Shawn
Democracy Reformers Admit Their Biggest Problem: They Keep Talking to Themselves
At the March 25 Democracy Network Exchange meeting, reform advocates confronting 2024 losses on ranked choice voting and other ballot measures pointed to a hard truth: insider language, weak grassroots investment, and abstract messaging are still undermining structural reform campaigns. ...
31 Mar, 2026
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5 min read
Can a Party Call Itself ‘Independent’? Judge Accuses No Labels Party of ‘Bait-and-Switch’
The No Labels Party in Arizona cannot change its name to the Arizona Independent Party. This is the decision from Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Gregory Como, who called it a “political bait-and-switch.” ...
30 Mar, 2026
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12 min read
Independent Voters Are Dominating the 2026 Primary Conversation
The media does not often cover the impact independent voters have in elections until after the primaries. However, in 2026, this growing segment of voters – who make up nearly half of the electorate – is harder to ignore in these critical early contests....
25 Mar, 2026
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2 min read
Chad Bianco’s 650,000-Ballot Seizure Puts California Governor Race in National Spotlight
Riverside County sheriff and California gubernatorial candidate Chad Bianco has bolstered his national name ID after he seized over 650,000 ballots cast in the 2025 special election for Proposition 50....
23 Mar, 2026
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4 min read
My Next Congressman Won His Primary with 24% of the Vote
Illinois conducted its 2026 primary elections Tuesday, and in some cases the winner advanced to November with around or less than 30% of the vote. In my congressional district, IL-7, State Representative La Shawn Ford won his primary with roughly 24% of the vote....
18 Mar, 2026
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4 min read
John Fetterman Blasts Hypocrisy on Both Sides of the SAVE Act Fight
Fetterman has pointed out that voter ID is an "80-20 issue," citing an August 2025 Pew Research survey that found 83% of American voters support or are okay with requiring photo ID to vote....
16 Mar, 2026
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14 min read
Paul Rieckhoff Tells Stephen Colbert: Voters Shouldn't Have to Pick a Party to Matter
Paul Rieckhoff wears many hats. He is a veteran of the Iraq War, founded Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, national security analyst, author, producer, podcaster, and founder of Independent Veterans of America....
11 Mar, 2026
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2 min read
Did New Petition Rules Kill Oklahoma’s Open Primaries Initiative?
Last week, the Oklahoma campaign to put a nonpartisan all-voter and all-candidate nonpartisan primary initiative on the ballot was informed that it did not collect enough signatures to be certified. This means state voters won’t get a say on the matter in 2026....
10 Mar, 2026
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5 min read
Texas Primary Shock: Democratic Voter Turnout Surpasses Republicans
The 2026 primary elections in Texas had their fair share of excitement and controversy Tuesday night. But one thing that stood out more than anything else was the turnout. Specifically, in the Democratic primaries, which soared above the Republicans....
04 Mar, 2026
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4 min read