Category: election reform
The Illusion of Competition in American Elections
American elections are becoming less competitive, and the consequences are eroding democracy. As The New York Times journalists Nick Corasaniti and Michael Wines report this week, most congressional and state legislative races in 2024 were effectively decided by low-turnout primaries or weren’t contested at all.
28 Feb, 2025
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2 min read
Open Primaries Bill Passes New Mexico Senate, Moves to House
With a short legislative window to work with, the updates on a bill to open New Mexico's taxpayer-funded primary elections to more than 330,000 independent voters are happening fast -- and so far, it is good news for reformers.
21 Feb, 2025
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1 min read
DC Appeals Court Revives Democrats' Effort to Kill the Already Approved Initiative 83
Alex Koma of Loose Lips @WCP reports that a significant legal battle over Initiative 83 (I-83) has been reignited after the District of Columbia Court of Appeals ruled on February 6, 2025, to remand the case to Superior Court
10 Feb, 2025
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2 min read
Advocates Push for Reform to Stop Partisan Manipulation of Ballot Measures
An Election Reformers Network (ERN) report covering a 13-year period has found that state lawmakers and elected officials are increasingly manipulating the ballot initiative process to block or impede citizen-led efforts.
04 Feb, 2025
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3 min read
ALL INDY: Alaska’s Reformers Will Protect Electoral Innovations and Break New Ground in 2026
Ballotpedia reports this week that in 2026, Alaska’s independent voters will have the chance to solidify their role as election reform pioneers by voting on two initiatives.
28 Jan, 2025
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2 min read
MERGER: The Organization that Brought Ranked Choice Voting and Ended SuperPACs in Maine Joins California’s Nonpartisan Primary Pioneers
The Chamberlain Project, an organization I co-founded with Peter Ackerman a decade ago, has been dissolved. The Chamberlain Boards have voted to combine all of Chamberlain’s associated entities, including Americans Elect, Level the Playing Field, the Committee for Ranked Choice Voting, and Citizens to End SuperPACs, with the Foundation for Independent Voter Education (FIVE),
23 Jan, 2025
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12 min read
A 2024 Analysis Shows the Undeniable Force of the Independent Vote
Independent voters showcased how critical of a voting bloc they were in the 2024 elections. What's more, they showed that despite the claim that they are "party leaners," they were not committed to candidates of a single party.
15 Jan, 2025
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3 min read
Giving Voters a Say: Maryland Bill Takes Aim at Representation by Appointment
A March hearing has been set in the Maryland House of Delegates for a bill that requires special elections if a state lawmaker is appointed to their seat in the first half of their term.
14 Jan, 2025
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2 min read
Congress to Enter Its Most Divided Term in Modern US History
Pew Research Center analyzed historical data going back to the 88th Congress (1963-65) and found that the majority party in the upcoming term, the Republican Party, will have the slimmest majority in the House in modern history.
27 Dec, 2024
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4 min read
Down, But Not Out: Nonpartisan Election Reformers Maintain Their Resolve
Nonpartisan election reformers have chosen not to hang their head in defeat after a few statewide losses in 2024. Instead, their mood was surprisingly optimistic when they met in San Diego for the National Association of Nonpartisan Reformers’ annual summit.
16 Dec, 2024
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4 min read