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
FEMA's Recovery Tips for California Wildfire Survivors
In the midst of historic and devastating wildfires in Southern California, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has issued guidance and tips for impacted individuals and families.
Idaho Lawmakers Are Going After the Ballot Initiative Process
Idaho lawmakers are still fuming that citizen-led groups tried to change the way the state elects its lawmakers. The 2024 initiative failed, but now a bill in the legislature would make it harder for any ballot proposition to pass.
Andrew Yang Makes a Bold Prediction about The Next Presidential Race
Former presidential candidate and Forward Party Founder Andrew Yang kicked off 2025 with some predictions about what will happen this year in the US political landscape on his podcast, Forward.
Bill Filed to Close Indiana's Critical Primary Elections
Indiana lawmakers will consider a bill filed in the state's House of Representatives that seeks to the close the state's primary elections and condition full voting rights on joining one of two major political parties.
On His Way Out, Trudeau Says He Regrets Not Implementing Ranked Choice Voting
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who announced his resignation this week after nearly a decade in power, reflected on his time in office and says he has one regret: He wished he had implemented ranked choice voting.
Will Congress Grant Independent Voters Full Voting Rights in 2025?
While all eyes are on the speakers vote Friday, a bipartisan coalition of US lawmakers plan to re-introduce legislation that would represent the largest expansion of voting rights in modern US history.
America's Party-First System Leaves Little Room for Leadership
The House of Representatives will vote Friday on who will serve as speaker for the 119th congressional term. The thing is, unless Republicans can get all of their members in line, it may not be a quick process.
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.
2024 Recap: Lessons Learned from the Successes and Failures of Statewide Primary Reform
In 2024, a historic number of statewide initiatives appeared on the ballot to open primary elections to all voters and candidates. Most of the initiatives failed, but reformers were successful in Washington DC.
Declining Voter Turnout and Rising Costs Highlight Problems with Runoff Elections, New Report Finds
A new report shows that runoff elections are not only expensive, but in 2024 were less effective than in any other election in modern history at providing adequate representation.