Category: news

Oakland, CA
Oakland Votes in Pivotal Mayoral Election with Ranked Choice Voting at the Center
In a critical special election, Oakland voters are casting their ballots on April 15 to replace recalled Mayor Sheng Thao. The election will be decided using ranked choice voting (RCV) and determine who leads the city through 2027, as Oakland faces mounting challenges.
15 Apr, 2025
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5 min read
US Capitol Building with American flag.
Parental Proxy Voting Effort in Congress Gives Independent Voters Hope
It’s a bipartisan effort. Independent voters are tired of division and Congress’s inability to achieve results. We rarely see a bipartisan effort in Congress today because, in many respects, we are not allowed to witness it.
15 Apr, 2025
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6 min read
Wall sign that says politics.
Most American Votes Don't Matter — New Research Highlights Crisis in Electoral Representation
A new report from the Unite America Institute reveals a sobering truth about American democracy: in most elections, the vast majority of votes cast have zero influence on the outcome.
14 Apr, 2025
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2 min read
Cargo ship and harbor with a picture of the globe in the water.
Trump's Trade War: When Bad Economics Makes Good Politics
Last week, Americans witnessed President Trump's "art of the deal" in action as his administration imposed sweeping tariffs on global trading partners, only to roll them back after markets cratered and bond yields spiked.
14 Apr, 2025
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1 min read
Barbara Lee
Barbara Lee Embraces Ranked Choice Strategy as Oakland’s Mayoral Race Enters Final Stretch
With Oakland’s high-stakes special mayoral election coming up on April 15, former U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee has released a video outlining a ranked choice voting (RCV) strategy — officially urging her supporters to rank multiple names on their ballots.
14 Apr, 2025
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2 min read
cannabis plant
Tariffs and Vape Ban Could Push California’s Cannabis Market Further Underground
California’s legal cannabis industry, long weighed down by high taxes and regulation, is facing new threats: steep federal tariffs on key imports and a proposed statewide ban on disposable vapes.
11 Apr, 2025
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3 min read
Salt Lake City skyline.
Salt Lake City Keeps Ranked Choice Voting Alive for 2025
Salt Lake City will continue using ranked choice voting (RCV) in its municipal elections, allowing voters to rank candidates in order of preference rather than selecting just one. The City Council reaffirmed their commitment to the system, following positive feedback from the 2023 elections. ​
11 Apr, 2025
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1 min read
red and blue ballot boxes
Will Pennsylvania's 1.4 Million Independent Voters Be Next to Gain Equal Voting Rights?
Election reformers are celebrating the adoption of primary elections in New Mexico that are open to the state's substantial independent voter population. But there is an even larger group of independents that could soon be granted access to these critical taxpayer-funded elections in Pennsylvania.
10 Apr, 2025
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2 min read
Ballot handed to poll worker.
NM Lawmakers: Open Primaries Bill Is About Boosting Voter Participation
KOAT 7 in New Mexico featured an investigative report on the impact of open primaries now that Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has signed SB 16 into law, a bill that opens the state's primaries to more than 330,000 independent voters.
09 Apr, 2025
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2 min read
Judge about to slower gavel.
Believe It or Not, There Is Still a 2024 Election That Hasn't Been Called
It may be hard to believe, but as of April 2025, there is still one election in the US from the last election cycle that has not been called: the 2024 North Carolina Supreme Court election between incumbent Democrat Justice Allison Riggs and Republican challenger Jefferson Griffin.
09 Apr, 2025
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3 min read