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
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
4 min read
Can Buffalo Succeed Where NYC Failed on Election Reform?
The Buffalo Charter Revision Commission voted 7-2 Monday to pass a resolution that ensures it will explore open primaries, ranked choice voting (RCV), and expanded ballot access. It is not a guarantee on any reform, but it is a step closer to change....
14 Apr, 2026
-
6 min read
Who Will Eric Swalwell Voters Choose Now? We Know
US Rep. Eric Swalwell has officially suspended his campaign for California governor in the midst of multiple sexual misconduct and assault allegations. He also announced Monday that he is resigning from Congress....
13 Apr, 2026
-
4 min read