
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
Boston, Concord Want Ranked Choice Voting -- Here's Why State Law Makes It Difficult
Concord is the latest town in Massachusetts to signal it wants to adopt ranked choice voting after residents overwhelmingly voted for Article 28 in a town meeting Wednesday. The vote comes not long after the Boston City Council advanced its own ranked choice voting measure....
09 Jun, 2025
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4 min read
ABC's Sara Haines Calls Out 'Narrow View' that Independent Voters Can't Exist in Trump Era
American journalist and co-host of ABC’s The View, Sara Haines, refutes the notion that people can't be independent-minded in their election choices in an era in which the Republican Party is controlled by Trump – a perspective voiced by her colleague, Sunny Houstin that Haines describes as “narrow.”...
06 Jun, 2025
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3 min read
Three Reps Put Party Labels Aside to Strengthen U.S. Role in Global Fight Against Alzheimer’s
Two California members of Congress, Ami Bera, M.D. (D-CA-06) and Young Kim (R-CA-40), introduced a bill Wednesday with Republican Pennsylvania Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick aimed at bolstering the US's global role in the battle against Alzheimer’s disease. ...
04 Jun, 2025
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3 min read
FEC's Final Action Before Its Latest Shutdown Was Fining California Rep. Maxine Waters
We now know what final action the FEC was able to take before it effectively shut down in May due to a lack of quorum. The FEC voted unanimously 4-0 on April 29 to fine California US Rep. Maxine Waters $68,000 for violating several campaign finance laws, according to recently published documents from the agency....
03 Jun, 2025
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2 min read
Independent Voters Just Got Power in Nevada – If the Governor Lets It Happen
A surprise last-minute bill to open primary elections to Nevada’s largest voting bloc, registered unaffiliated voters, moved quickly through the state legislature and was approved by a majority of lawmakers on the last day of the legislative session Monday....
03 Jun, 2025
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4 min read
In NYC, Reform Leaders Say It's Time to End Independent Voter Discrimination
Pressure continues to mount for New York City to change its primary election laws to include all eligible voters, regardless of party, as independent voters rally behind a simple message: "No voter should be required to join a political party to vote."...
02 Jun, 2025
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3 min read
Record Partisan Divide Overshadows Broad Public Support for Same-Sex Marriage
It has been 10 years since the Supreme Court's decision in Obergefell v. Hodges opened the door for same-sex couples across the US to marry, regardless of what states banned it and what states had already legalized it....
30 May, 2025
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3 min read
Opening the Door: How New Mexico Reformed Its Primary Elections and What Others Can Learn
More than 330,000 independent voters will have access to state-administered primary elections in future New Mexico elections after the legislature passed SB 16 in March to end the state’s use of closed primaries....
29 May, 2025
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5 min read
Lawsuit Challenges Independent Voter Suppression under Closed Primaries in Maryland
A new lawsuit filed Wednesday by the Open Primaries Education Fund along with the law firm, Angor, Rapaport, & Skainy (DATRS), asserts that Maryland is violating its own constitution and the voting rights of nearly 1 million independent voters in the state by denying them access to taxpayer-funded primary elections....
28 May, 2025
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3 min read








