From MAGA’s takeover of the GOP to the rise of democratic socialists, the author argues that America’s political upheaval is a symptom of an election system that rewards party capture, discourages independent competition, and leaves voters with too few choices.
From the election reform battles of 2024 to the campaigns of 2026, a new documentary follows the independent voters who keep fighting to change American politics—even when the odds are stacked against them.
Robert Pease
The Voter Protection Project, which has backed only Democrats since 2019, joins a coalition of democracy groups supporting independent congressional candidate Bill Hill. This year, Alaska’s top-four election system is also on the ballot, as it faces another attempt to repeal it.
A federal judge paused a Texas GOP lawsuit seeking closed primaries, saying the legislature should decide the issue in 2027. The case has exposed a divide within the party, with Abbott and Cornyn taking opposing positions on whether to exclude independent voters from taxpayer-funded primaries.
A campaign ad in Alaska claims Ballot Measure 2 would bring back open primaries and reject dark money, but the state already has nonpartisan open primaries that the measure would actually repeal and restrict campaign finance transparency.
Both Parties Spent Millions Picking This Matchup. 100,000 Independents Get to Decide Who Wins.
California's top-two primary brings DSA-backed Democrats face-to-face with the party's moderate wing before the entire electorate. Steve Peace, who authored the law, discusses whether his system is working as designed.
A closed Republican primary, a weak Democratic Party, and a wide gap between how Idahoans register and how they identify have produced an unusually deep bench of independents.
From open primaries and multi-member districts to campaign finance reform and a culture that encourages more people to run, there are ways to bring competition back to elections where voters too often have only one choice.
Katherine Gehl
Matt Shinners
Shawn Griffiths
Cara Brown McCormick
Independent Voter Podcast