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
As California Dems Push a Two-Republican Panic, Their Own Poll Contradicts Their Message
Neither of the two Republican candidates in the governor’s race, Hilton or Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, have gained ground as more undecided voters make their pick in the race or settle on a candidate....
06 May, 2026
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3 min read
Governor Moore: Real Nonpartisan Reform is Making Changes When It's Not Convenient for Your Party
On Bill Maher’s HBO show last week, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore took aim at closed primary systems, saying the process “has run its course” and noted that the fastest growing segment of the US electorate are independent voters. ...
04 May, 2026
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5 min read
DC Independent Voters Are Pissed City Officials Have Denied Them Open Primaries
Primary elections in Washington, DC, are coming up in June. However, while three-quarters of the city’s electorate voted for them to be open to independent voters, they won’t be – because city officials refuse to make the switch from a closed partisan system....
29 Apr, 2026
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2 min read
New Mexico Independents Mobilize Ahead of Their First Open Primary
Independent voters in New Mexico will be able to participate in the state’s primary elections in 2026 without first joining a major political party — and one reform group is launching a statewide campaign to make sure they know it....
28 Apr, 2026
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5 min read
California Voter ID Initiative Just Made the Ballot
California voters are set to decide whether to add voter ID to the state constitution, after election officials announced the California Voter ID Initiative cleared the signature threshold needed for the 2026 ballot. ...
27 Apr, 2026
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13 min read
IVP California Governor Poll Sparks Reddit Debate on Ranked Choice Voting
The Independent Voter Project (IVP) released a new poll this week that shows a seismic shift in the California governor’s race. But on Reddit, it also hit a nerve for many voters calling for ranked choice elections....
23 Apr, 2026
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6 min read
After Virginia Special Election, The Gerrymandering War Escalates Again
Virginia held a special election Tuesday on a referendum aimed at giving Democrats more seats in the US House. It was a close race, with “Yes” in favor of a legislative-drawn congressional map passing by a narrow 51.5% to 48.5%....
22 Apr, 2026
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5 min read
Who Funded the $100M Virginia Gerrymandering Referendum? Voters May Never Know
On Tuesday, Virginians will go to the polls and vote on a referendum that if passed will implement a temporary new congressional map that gives Democrats as much as a 10-1 advantage in House elections....
20 Apr, 2026
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10 min read
Judge Slams Door on New Attack Against California’s Top Two Primary
A group of minor parties in California challenged the state's nonpartisan Top Two primary in court and a federal judge handed them another loss, ruling in part that they can’t keep suing over arguments already rejected by other courts....
15 Apr, 2026
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4 min read