logo

Category: election reform

ballot box
The Next Big Win in Better Election Reform Could Come Where Voters Least Expect
Idaho isn't a state that gets much attention when people talk about politics in the US. However, this could change in 2024 if Idahoans for Open Primaries and their allies are successful with their proposed initiative.
21 March, 2024
-
1 min read
Courts
Why Do We Accept Partisanship in Judicial Elections?
The AP headline reads, "Ohio primary: Open seat on state supreme court could flip partisan control." This immediately should raise a red flag for voters, and not because of who may benefit but over a question too often ignored.
19 March, 2024
-
1 min read
Harry Kresky
Harry Kresky: An Independent Hero
18 March, 2024
-
1 min read
Krist Novoselic
Smells Like Independent Spirit: Nirvana's Krist Novoselic and the Fight for Better Elections
Former presidential candidate and co-founder of the Forward Party Andrew Yang sat down with Nirvana co-founder Krist Novoselic, who went from changing the status quo in music to bringing that independent spirit to the political arena and the fight for better elections.
18 March, 2024
-
1 min read
vote
It's Time to Let All Voters Vote in South Dakota's Taxpayer-Funded Primaries
Unfortunately, the upcoming 2024 South Dakota primary election promises more of the same for our state.
15 March, 2024
-
1 min read
make every vote count
Report: 6-in-10 New Voters Register Unaffiliated in States that Suppress Independent Voters
Mounting research continues to show the real truth behind independent voter suppression in several states across the US.
12 March, 2024
-
1 min read
voter at polls
17% More Votes Count Under Ranked Choice Voting, Study Finds
A new study analyzing all single-winner ranked choice voting (RCV) elections since 2004 reveals a significant increase in meaningful votes and representation in elections under RCV.
12 March, 2024
-
1 min read
people
LetUsVote: New Campaign Launches to End Discrimination Against Independent Voters
Open Primaries, in partnership with Unite America, announced the launch of LetUsVote Wednesday, a nationwide initiative that aims to mobilize and empower independent voters, who make up the largest voting bloc in the US but are treated like second-class voters.
27 February, 2024
-
1 min read
McMaster
SC Governor Rejects Calls to Close Primaries; Squashes Claims of 'Party Raiding'
Republican South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster does not support calls from within his party to close primary elections to registered party members only. He has long pushed back against claims that non-party members will infiltrate the primaries to manipulate outcomes.
21 February, 2024
-
1 min read
voting
Bill Designed to De-Politicize Virginia's Top Elections Job Runs into Partisan Trouble
A bill that would strip Virginia governors of their ability to handpick a party-loyal elections commissioner was approved with a unanimous vote in the state's House but has run into trouble in the state Senate.
20 February, 2024
-
1 min read
California Legislature
Author of California’s Top-Two Primary Says It’s Time to Reform the Reform
In 2010, California voters took the first step in empowering every California voter by abolishing party-controlled closed partisan primaries in favor of open nonpartisan primaries that advance the top two vote-getters to the November election. 
14 February, 2024
-
1 min read
voting
Over 23.5 Million Independent Voters Are Disenfranchised in 2024 Primaries, Study Finds
As the US kicks off the 2024 presidential election cycle, more than 23.5 million registered independent voters find themselves sidelined by closed presidential primaries in 22 states, a recent report from the Unite America Institute reveals.
13 February, 2024
-
1 min read
voting
Poll: La. Lawmakers Dismantle Nonpartisan Elections Supported by Two-Thirds of Voters
Louisiana, voters witnessed their legislature not only ignore their opinions on something as important as voter rights -- but lawmakers also spit in their faces.
23 January, 2024
-
1 min read
Dean Phillips
Defending Democracy? Democratic Candidate Dean Phillips Calls Out DNC Hypocrisy
Democratic US Presidential candidate and US Representative Dean Phillips (Minnesota) condemned the systemic threats to US elections at every level of the process in a recent conversation with Open Primaries President John Opdycke.
22 January, 2024
-
1 min read
i voted
Upcoming Book: America's Political Problems Start with Its Broken Primaries
A new book is slated to hit the shelves in February by former congressional candidate and Unite America Executive Director Nick Troiano, which details the fundamental problem with the US's unrepresentative and hyper-polarized political system and where change must begin: the primaries.
07 January, 2024
-
1 min read
congress
Can Proportional Representation Mend the Fractures In Our Political System -- Or Would It Make Them Worse?
It’s well understood that America is intensely divided today and that our divisions have worsened over time. But when did politics turn into an “us-vs-them” war?
04 January, 2024
-
1 min read
voted
Arlington, VA Board Unanimously Votes to Continue Ranked Choice Voting in Primaries
On December 19, the Arlington County Board unanimously voted to use ranked choice voting for all future county board primaries. The decision comes after a survey found that 70% of voters rated their experience with RCV as "positive," "fair," or "exceptional."
20 December, 2023
-
1 min read
image
To Be Truly Open, More Reform Is Needed to Maine Primaries
Next year, Maine will hold its first open primary election. Every Maine voter — including the 32 percent registered as unaffiliated — will be able to vote. It’s a critical step forward.  
20 November, 2023
-
1 min read
az
From Primaries to Administration, Arizonans Support Nonpartisan Elections
Four in five Arizona voters favor a nonpartisan primary system and nearly all voters believe election officials should function in a nonpartisan manner. This is according to a survey conducted by Arizona State University’s Center for an Independent and Sustainable Democracy. 
01 August, 2023
-
1 min read
image
Just What is H.R. 1, Anyway?
H.R. 1, named the "For the People Act of 2021," is legislation originally proposed by the House of Representatives in 2019 to fight electoral corruption and shore up our representative democracy through changes in federal election law.
08 February, 2021
-
1 min read
image
Do We Really Need Another Political Party?
OPINION: While a party that reflects progressive values would warm my heart, now is not the time to add another source of partisan divisiveness in the form of a political party.
17 December, 2020
-
1 min read
image
Just What is H.R. 1, Anyway?
08 February, 2021
-
1 min read
image
Do We Really Need Another Political Party?
17 December, 2020
-
1 min read