Category: election reform
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
Want Fair Elections in New York City? Ranked Choice Isn’t Enough Without Open Primaries
A lot of people are talking about democracy reform in New York City, especially since the implementation of ranked choice voting. But while ranked choice voting in party primaries is novel, let’s be honest: it’s not “small-d” democratic. The fact is, the general election still uses a plurality voting system, which means candidates don’t need to win a majority, they just need more votes than anyone else.
28 May, 2025
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4 min read
Nevada House Speaker Says It's Time to Give the State's Largest Voting Bloc Access to Primaries
Nevada’s largest registered voting bloc – unaffiliated voters – could soon gain access to the state’s taxpayer-funded primaries, if a new bill from Democratic Nevada House Speaker Steve Yeager becomes law.
27 May, 2025
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2 min read
Harvard Political Review Headlines Case for Open Primaries
The Harvard Political Review (HPR) is a student-run publication at Harvard University that is widely regarded for high-level, nonpartisan analysis of political developments in the U.S. and abroad. Founded in 1969 by members of the Institute of Politics at Harvard Kennedy School, HPR has been a launchpad for major voices in public service and academia.
26 May, 2025
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3 min read
NYC Independents Line Up to Demand Open Primaries
The New York City Charter Revision Commission, which is tasked with proposing policy changes to city government, held its first public meeting this week since it released a preliminary report that considers a potential end to the city’s closed primaries.
23 May, 2025
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3 min read
Majority Rules: The Film Capturing America’s Most Radical Election Reform
Alaskans made history in 2020 when they passed the first-in-the-nation election system that not only eliminated party primaries but adopted a voting system for the general election that gave them the option to rank candidates in order of preference.
19 May, 2025
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3 min read
Pennsylvania Rep Chris Rabb: There Should Be No Second-Class Voters In Our State
A bill that would open Pennsylvania primary elections to over 1.4 million registered independent voters, HB 280, cleared its first major hurdle to becoming law this week when it cleared the House State Government Committee.
15 May, 2025
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3 min read
Boston City Council Backs Ranked Choice Voting Home Rule Petition in 8–4 Vote
On May 14, the Boston City Council voted 8–4 in favor of a Home Rule Petition allowing voters to rank candidates in order of preference, a shift that could change how Bostonians elect their leaders.
14 May, 2025
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3 min read
Chula Vista Voters Want More Choice -- Will the City Council Listen?
Voters in Chula Vista are signaling strong support for election reform. A recent independent poll conducted by Competitive Edge Research & Communication and funded by the Independent Voter Project shows that nearly two-thirds of voters support the More Choice Voting measure, a proposed change that would give voters the ability to rank candidates and increase the number of candidates who advance to general elections.
14 May, 2025
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2 min read