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
Chuck Todd: When It Comes to Public Mistrust in Institutions, The Parties Just Don't Get It
Last week, the national election reform group Open Primaries held a Zoom conversation with former Meet the Press moderator Chuck Todd to discuss voters' growing mistrust in American institutions. It was part of the group's ongoing Primary Buzz Discussion Series.
Ranked Choice Voting Garners Broad Support in Connecticut, Including in Its Legislature
The Connecticut General Assembly’s Government Administration and Elections (GAE) Committee held a public hearing Monday on SB 1536, a bill to implement Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) in Connecticut.
A Bill to Open Taxpayer-Funded Primaries to Over 330,000 Independents Sent to New Mexico Governor's Desk
It has been a long road for reformers in New Mexico, but the legislature has passed a bill that would open state primary elections to a quarter of the state's voting population registered unaffiliated of a political party.
Louisiana Voters Are Not Happy About the State's Move to Closed Primaries
Closed primaries are coming to Louisiana in 2026, but a new poll shows that state voters across the political spectrum overwhelmingly favor open primaries where any voter can vote for any candidate running for office.
CNN Poll: Only 19% of Independents View Democrats Favorably and Don't Think Much Better of Republicans
According to a new poll from CNN, conducted by SSRS, most of the public doesn't hold either major party in high regard, especially independent voters -- with whom neither party exceeds 20% favorability.
Andrew Yang: Why Nothing Works -- And How to Fix It
In the latest episode of the Andrew Yang Podcast, Yang talks with author Marc Dunkelman about his new book, Why Nothing Works, and how distrust in government has erected barriers to get anything done.
Redondo Beach Voters Say Ranked Choice Voting is Simple, Fair, and Easy
Redondo Beach used ranked choice voting (RCV) for the first time on March 4 during its municipal elections and according to new data from Lake Research Partners, voters liked it.
'Mr. No' Thomas Massie Threatened with Primary Challenge over Funding Stance
The US House was able to pass a continuing resolution in a party-line vote Tuesday to set up another government funding fight in six months and avoid a government shutdown.
Canada's Next Prime Minister Was Chosen Using Ranked Choice Voting
On March 9, the Liberal Party of Canada held an election to determine who will lead the party using a reform growing in popularity in cities across the US: ranked choice voting. The winner of that election: Former Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney.
Chuck Todd to Discuss Advancing Reform in a World Without Trust
On Tuesday, March 18, the nonprofit reform group Open Primaries will host an online virtual discussion featuring a legendary figure in journalism: Chuck Todd, who moderated NBC's Meet the Press for nearly 10 years.