# Independent Voter News
> Independent Voter News covers elections, voter rights, and political reform from a nonpartisan perspective. Journalism that puts voters before parties.
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## Pages
- [About Independent Voter News](https://ivn.us/about.md) - Independent Voter News (IVN.us) is a national news platform built around a single conviction: voters should not have to join a political party to have meaningful political power. That belief shapes what we cover and how we cover it. The American political system structurally disadvantages independe…
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- [Independent Voter Podcast](https://ivn.us/podcasts.md) - Join us every week as we post a new podcast about the elections for independent voters. We bring you conversations that challenge the two-party echo chamber and reject the false binaries dominating today’s political narratives.
- [Publish with IVN](https://ivn.us/publish.md) - Don't agree with something you see? Write your own story. IVN is a platform built for independent-minded journalists coming from different perspectives. Our contributors span the political spectrum. They include attorneys, organizers, former elected officials, professional journalists, academics, s…
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## Posts
- [80% of Buffalo Voters Asked for More Choice. The Charter Commission Said No](https://ivn.us/80-of-buffalo-voters-asked-for-more-choice-the-charter-commission-said-no.md) - Proposals for semi-open primaries, ranked choice voting and expanded ballot access will not appear on the November ballot.
- [South Carolina GOP Lost in the Legislature—Now They Want a Judge to Close the Primaries](https://ivn.us/south-carolina-gop-lost-in-the-legislature-now-they-want-a-judge-to-close-the-primaries.md) - After lawmakers refused to close the state’s primaries, Republican leaders in another state turned to federal court—joining a broader campaign to exclude independent voters from taxpayer-funded elections.
- [Graham Platner Just Got Joe Biden'd](https://ivn.us/graham-platner-just-got-joe-bidend.md) - Plus: DSA & Trump are winning because of closed primaries
- [Maine Democrats Are About to Lock Independents Out of the Process—Again](https://ivn.us/maine-democrats-are-about-to-lock-independents-out-of-the-process-again.md) - Maine’s semi-open primary gave independents a voice. Now party insiders are poised to pick Graham Platner's replacement without them.
- [America's Primary System Is Feeding Both MAGA and the Democratic Socialists](https://ivn.us/americas-primary-system-is-feeding-both-maga-and-the-democratic-socialists.md) - On Meet the Press, Open Primaries President John Opdycke explained that the country's political extremes are thriving because party primaries reward small ideological electorates while treating independent voters like outsiders.
- [America Can’t Afford Another President Who Loses the Popular Vote](https://ivn.us/america-cant-afford-another-president-who-loses-the-popular-vote.md) - The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact offers a state-based way to break the swing-state cartel, weaken minority rule, and make every presidential vote count.
- [Massachusetts Insiders Tried to Kill Primary Reform. Voters Get the Final Word.](https://ivn.us/massachusetts-insiders-tried-to-kill-primary-reform-voters-get-the-final-word.md) - A court challenge failed. Now Massachusetts voters will decide whether to open the state’s insider-driven primaries to all voters, all candidates, and real competition.
- [The DEA Is Coming for 7-OH — The Gas-Station Opioid Hiding in Candy Packaging](https://ivn.us/the-dea-is-coming-for-7-oh-the-gas-station-opioid-hiding-in-candy-packaging.md) - To protect public safety, the DEA is moving to put concentrated 7-OH Kratom compounds in the same legal category as heroin and LSD.
- [Who Is Troy Jackson? The Progressive Populist in Maine Who Has Won In Trump Country](https://ivn.us/who-is-troy-jackson-the-progressive-populist-in-maine-who-has-won-in-trump-country.md) - As Democrats scramble to replace Graham Platner, the former logger and Maine Senate president offers a rare mix of progressive politics, labor credibility, and proven appeal in Republican-leaning areas.
- [The Two Parties Built Safe Seats. Independents Are Learning How to Break Them](https://ivn.us/the-two-parties-built-safe-seats-independents-are-learning-how-to-break-them.md) - There is an independent surge happening in 2026 that could turn “safe” seats into real contests—and make gerrymandering far less reliable.
- [12 Groups Building a Political Escape Hatch from the Two-Party Duopoly](https://ivn.us/12-groups-building-a-political-escape-hatch-from-the-two-party-duopoly.md) - Luckily, there are organizations out there who are endorsing independent-minded candidates as well as candidates who support reforms key to unlocking independent political power.
- [It's Official: California Voters Will Decide on Billionaire Tax, Voter ID, and 12 Other Measures This November](https://ivn.us/its-official-california-voters-will-decide-on-billionaire-tax-voter-id-and-12-other-measures-this-november.md) - Whether the billionaire wealth tax survives will come down to a simple count: if Proposition 40 beats both Proposition 41 and Proposition 42 this November, it will stand. If either of them beats it, the tax will get erased anyway.
- [Kalshi Has a New Candidate in Striking Distance of Susan Collins as Odds Point to Platner Exit](https://ivn.us/kalshi-has-a-new-candidate-in-striking-distance-of-susan-collins-as-odds-point-to-platner-exit.md) - Prediction markets are already pricing in a post-Platner race—and the name that is closing the gap with Collins before any announcement has been made may help the party avoid a full Joe Biden situation.
- [Exclusive: Graham Platner is About to Be Joe Bidened](https://ivn.us/exclusive-graham-platner-is-about-to-be-joe-bidened.md) - Buried in Title 21-A, section 374-A of Maine's election statutes is a provision built for exactly this kind of situation: a primary winner who becomes, in the party's estimation, more liability than asset before the general election arrives.
- ['Saving America' Starts by Fixing the Elections Most Voters Never Get to Vote In](https://ivn.us/podcasts/saving-america-starts-by-fixing-the-elections-most-voters-never-get-to-vote-in.md) - Chad Peace joins Dr. David D. Schein’s Saving America to explain how closed primaries, safe seats, and party-controlled elections leave millions of voters on the sidelines before November ever arrives and the nonpartisan, more choice solution to solve the primary problem.
- [Don't Hold Your Breath Waiting for Politicians or Their Consultants to Fix Gerrymandering](https://ivn.us/dont-hold-your-breath-waiting-for-politicians-or-their-consultants-to-fix-gerrymandering-2.md) - The people currently getting any credit for wanting to fix it are not the people with the power to do so, and the people who do have that power were never in Washington to begin with.
- [10 Organizations Independent Voters Need to Watch](https://ivn.us/10-organizations-independent-voters-need-to-watch.md) - From ballot access and open primaries to independent candidates and ranked choice voting, these groups are shaping the next phase of the voter-first reform movement.
- [Petition Drive to Let Independents Vote Delivers 45,000 Signatures to NYC Clerk](https://ivn.us/petition-drive-to-let-independents-vote-delivers-45-000-signatures-to-nyc-clerk.md) - A new ballot petition would replace New York City’s party-locked primary system with an open, ranked-choice Top Three election—putting more than 1.1 million excluded voters back in the process.
- [Millions of Americans Declare Their Independence on America's 250th Birthday](https://ivn.us/millions-of-americans-declare-their-independence-on-americas-250th-birthday.md) - As America celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, millions of independent voters are raising their voices to declare that the promise of 1776 belongs to every citizen.
- [6 US Cities that Show America What Independent Leadership Looks Like](https://ivn.us/6-us-cities-that-show-america-what-independent-leadership-looks-like.md) - When looking at the accomplishments of these mayors, what sticks out as a throughline? A focus on infrastructure and public safety. Filling potholes, hiring police officers, and building houses. Efforts to bring disparate voices together, and a focus on acting transparently.
- [A Judge Just Ordered Huntington Beach to Give Voters More Choice](https://ivn.us/a-judge-just-ordered-huntington-beach-to-give-voters-more-choice.md) - A California court’s ranked choice voting remedy is about Latino representation. But it also reflects a larger reality: election systems built around narrow political coalitions routinely leave independent voters outside the room.
- [Why Latino Voters Backed Trump—Then Mamdani (NOT What You Think) | Mike Madrid](https://ivn.us/podcasts/why-latino-voters-backed-trump-then-mamdani-not-what-you-think-mike-madrid.md) - Chad, Ethan, and Cara sit down with political strategist Mike Madrid, author of The Latino Century, to unpack why Latino voters have become the fastest-growing bloc of independent voters in America.
- [The Gerrymandering Arms Race Is Breaking Democracy—and Congress Knows It](https://ivn.us/the-gerrymandering-arms-race-is-breaking-democracy-and-congress-knows-it.md) - A bipartisan House caucus wants to stop politicians from redrawing congressional maps whenever the next partisan power grab comes along. The question is whether Congress is ready to regulate itself.
- [SCOTUS Just Strengthened the 2-Party System](https://ivn.us/scotus-just-strengthened-the-2-party-system.md) - and no, the country isn't going socialist
- [Arizona Made Voting Hard Enough for Independents. Then It Sent Me Two Ballots.](https://ivn.us/arizona-made-voting-hard-enough-for-independents-then-it-sent-me-two-ballots.md) - Is this an effort to minimize the independent vote? It sure feels like it. It is already very difficult for independents to vote in the primary—this is just further muddying the waters.
- [The Supreme Court Just Made America’s Two-Party Money Problem Worse](https://ivn.us/the-supreme-court-just-made-americas-two-party-money-problem-worse.md) - The court struck down a post-Watergate limit on coordinated party spending, clearing the way for Republican and Democratic committees to pour unlimited money into races—and making it even harder for independents to compete.
- [Commentary: Birthright Citizenship Is More Complicated Than It Sounds](https://ivn.us/irwin-nowick-kavanaughs-confusing-birthright-decision-is-right-and-still-wrong.md) - Kavanaugh saw the constitutional opening for Congress to act. He underestimated how badly Trump’s executive order mangled the law around it.
- [You Want Supreme Court Term Limits? Here’s the Constitutional Wall Standing in the Way.](https://ivn.us/you-want-supreme-court-term-limits-heres-the-constitutional-wall-standing-in-the-way.md) - Term limits for Supreme Court justices may be popular. But imposing them would require Americans to confront the part of reform nobody likes: changing the Constitution—or gambling that the Court will let Congress change the rules itself.
- [John Oliver: The US Needs to 'Unf--k' Its Maps](https://ivn.us/john-oliver-the-us-needs-to-unf-k-its-maps.md) - John Oliver’s redistricting warning is blunt: escalating partisan map wars may win seats now, but it destroys the basic idea that voters choose their representatives.
- [The DSA Class of 2026: 11 Democrats Running as Socialists](https://ivn.us/the-dsa-class-of-2026-11-democrats-running-as-socialists.md) - Here are 11 candidates calling themselves socialists out loud in 2026.
- [‘Undo The Top Two’ Crossed Out “All Voters May Vote”](https://ivn.us/undo-the-top-two-crossed-out-all-voters-may-vote.md) - They say independents can vote. Their initiative strips the constitutional guarantee that lets every voter choose any candidate they want.
- [He Ran as a Democrat Once. Brian Bengs Says Never Again.](https://ivn.us/he-ran-as-a-democrat-once-brian-bengs-says-never-again.md) - His campaign website frames the entire race around one premise: that Big Money has corrupted both parties to the point where regular people who play by the rules can no longer afford the lifestyle their parents had
- [NY Independents Watch DC Open Its Primaries and Ask: 'Why Not Us?'](https://ivn.us/ny-independents-watch-dc-open-its-primaries-and-ask-why-not-us.md) - In 2024, D.C. voters overwhelmingly approved ballot initiative 83 to open the city’s taxpayer-funded primary elections, with 73% of voters voting yes. But New York independent voters remained locked out in their state despite funding the elections.
- [In New York, 7% of Voters Just Decided for the Other 93%](https://ivn.us/7-of-voters-just-decided-for-the-other-93.md) - NY Partisan Primary Proves Superiority of California’s Nonpartisan Primary System.
- [TRUTH: 40% of NYC Democrats Aren't Really Democrats | Jeremy Gruber](https://ivn.us/podcasts/truth-40-of-nyc-democrats-arent-really-democrats-jeremy-gruber.md) - We sit down with Jeremy, Senior VP of Open Primaries, to dig into a new IVP/Open Primaries poll of registered NYC Democrats - and what it reveals is wild.
- [SurveyUSA: The Argument that Ranked Choice Voting Is 'Too Confusing' for Voters is A Lie](https://ivn.us/surveyusa-the-argument-that-ranked-choice-voting-is-too-confusing-for-voters-is-a-lie.md) - A new SurveyUSA poll finds overwhelming majorities of DC voters say ranked choice voting was easy, support using it, and want independents included in taxpayer-funded primaries.
- [NY Shows What CA Might Look Like Without Top-Two](https://ivn.us/ny-shows-what-ca-might-look-like-without-top-two.md) - Plus: D.C. finally opens its primaries
- [The Plan to Strip 6.9 Million Californians of Voting Rights Could Haunt Politicians](https://ivn.us/bill-cavala-would-have-laughed-at-californias-latest-closed-primary-scheme.md) - Undoing Top Two means telling 6.9 million independent voters they may no longer participate in primary elections unless they sign up with a club they have already decided not to join.
- [3 States Voted Tuesday. More Than 5 Million Independents Were Told to Stay Out.](https://ivn.us/3-states-voted-tuesday-more-than-5-million-independents-were-told-to-stay-out.md) - New York, Maryland, and Utah are holding publicly funded primaries today—but the voters who refuse to join a party remain locked outside the contests that often decide who governs them.
- [Independent Voters Win! DC Council Votes to Fund Semi-Open Primaries](https://ivn.us/independent-voters-win-dc-council-votes-to-fund-semi-open-primaries.md) - 85,000 registered independent voters now have the right to vote in taxpayer-funded primary elections, as approved by two-thirds of District voters.
- [No Party. No Big Money. No Problem: How an Independent Mayor Beat the Machine in Ridgecrest](https://ivn.us/no-party-no-big-money-no-problem-how-an-independent-mayor-beat-the-machine-in-ridgecrest.md) - Asked about the practical costs of running without party infrastructure, Endicott named the obvious one—money—but also pointed to a less tangible benefit: independence itself.
- [DC’s First Ranked Choice Election Just Exposed How Many Votes the Old System Left Behind](https://ivn.us/dcs-first-ranked-choice-election-just-exposed-how-many-votes-the-old-system-left-behind.md) - In DC’s first ranked choice election, tens of thousands of voters stayed in the fight after their first choice fell short—something the old plurality system would have treated as a dead end.
- [The DC Council Has One More Chance to Let Independents Vote. Now is the Time to Get it Done!](https://ivn.us/the-dc-council-has-one-more-chance-to-let-independents-vote-now-is-the-time-to-get-it-done.md) - These are taxpayer-funded elections. Every voter should be able to cast a ballot. It is time to fund implementation of semi-open primaries.
- [47% Independent: The Two-Party System Has Lost the Country It Claims to Represent](https://ivn.us/47-independent-the-two-party-system-has-lost-the-country-it-claims-to-represent.md) - This growing shift raises a fundamental question: Can a system designed by partisans for partisans remain legitimate when the country is going independent?
- [Buffalo Voters Want City Hall to Stop Gatekeeping Elections, New Poll Finds](https://ivn.us/buffalo-voters-want-city-hall-to-stop-gatekeeping-elections-new-poll-finds.md) - Voters back open primaries, fairer ballot access, and more power at the ballot box as the Charter Revision Commission weighs whether to let residents vote on election reform in November.
- [In New York, Latino Democrats Aren't Even Democrats](https://ivn.us/in-new-york-latino-democrats-arent-even-democrats.md) - Latino voters are not drifting left or right. They are rejecting a political system that treats ballot access as a party privilege.
- [Poll Finds that a Majority of New York Democrats Don’t Really Want to be Democrats](https://ivn.us/poll-finds-that-a-majority-of-new-york-democrats-dont-really-want-to-be-democrats.md) - New polling finds most registered Democrats support letting independents vote in Democratic primaries — and nearly 4 in 10 say they only registered Democratic because New York City gives them no other meaningful choice.
- [She Quit Her Party. Then She Couldn't Vote. | Lisa Rice](https://ivn.us/podcasts/she-quit-her-party-then-she-couldnt-vote-lisa-rice.md) - In this episode of the Independent Voter Podcast, Chad and Shawn sit down with Lisa Rice, founder of Grow Democracy DC and a leading voice in the election reform movement.
- [California’s Top-Two Primary Has a Plurality Problem—And It's Easy to Fix](https://ivn.us/californias-top-two-primary-has-a-plurality-problem-and-its-easy-to-fix.md) - The good news is that the fix does not require a constitutional amendment but instead by a simple statute.
- [Bob Chew Wants to Make Colorado’s Senate Race About the Problems Both Parties Duck](https://ivn.us/bob-chew-wants-to-make-colorados-senate-race-about-the-problems-both-parties-duck.md) - With a nationwide slate of independent candidates, $2 million ready to be deployed, and campaign staff with real experience, Bob Chew’s in a better position than many to force a conversation he believes is necessary.
- [Maine Ran Out of Ballots. Here's Why](https://ivn.us/maine-an-out-of-ballots-heres-why.md) - Plus: IVN Joins Forces with Latino News Network & The Fulcrum
- [Independent Voter News Joins Forces with Latino News Network and The Fulcrum to Expand Voter-First Journalism](https://ivn.us/independent-voter-news-joins-forces-with-latino-news-network-and-the-fulcrum-to-expand-voter-first-journalism.md) - American democracy is best served by journalism that reaches the people most often left out of the conversation.
- [Don't Scrap Top-Two. Fix Its Strategic Voting Problem.](https://ivn.us/dont-scrap-top-two-fix-its-strategic-voting-problem.md) - The sky didn't fall. The dreaded two-Republican scenario never materialized. Once again, Democratic fears of a top-two disaster proved unfounded.
- [Virtual Town Hall to Examine Ballot Access Barriers in New Mexico, Texas, and Arizona](https://ivn.us/virtual-town-hall-to-examine-ballot-access-barriers-in-new-mexico-texas-and-arizona.md) - A free virtual event, co-sponsored by the Foundation for Independent Voter Education, brings together two leading reform advocates this Thursday.
- [Mike Duggan’s Exit Exposes the Independent Movement’s Biggest Blind Spot](https://ivn.us/mike-duggans-exit-exposes-the-independent-movements-biggest-blind-spot.md) - Duggan's campaign showed that independent politics will continue to struggle as long as it keeps swinging for the fences instead of figuring out how to get on base.
- [Maine’s Ranked-Choice Count Starts, and the Panic Machine Is Already Losing](https://ivn.us/maines-ranked-choice-count-starts-and-the-panic-machine-is-already-losing.md) - Election officials are now tabulating ranked-choice results in five races, the ninth time the state has used the system in a statewide contest, with results expected before the Juneteenth holiday on Friday.
- [Colorado Voters Want Every Flavor. The Primary System Says Red or Blue.](https://ivn.us/colorado-voters-want-every-flavor-the-primary-system-says-red-or-blue.md) - Courageous Colorado released a new ad that lightheartedly pokes fun at a system that limits voter choice to only two options in the primaries while calling on the state to adopt all-candidate and all-voter open primary elections.
- [DC Says Democracy Costs Too Much. Its Budget Says Otherwise.](https://ivn.us/dc-says-democracy-costs-too-much-its-budget-says-otherwise.md) - The DC Council says open primaries are too expensive, but the city's budget shows the real issue isn’t the price tag — it’s whether independent voters are a priority.
- [Fraud May Very Well Be Happening in California. But You Can't Prove It. Here's Why.](https://ivn.us/fraud-may-very-well-be-happening-in-california-but-you-cant-prove-it-heres-why.md) - California has built a system so structurally vulnerable to fraud that even if massive fraud were occurring, you couldn't prove it.
- [NYC Independents Turn Up the Heat on a System Built to Ignore Them](https://ivn.us/nyc-independents-turn-up-the-heat-on-a-system-built-to-ignore-them.md) - 1.2 million independent voters in New York City are shut out of primary elections, and in a very blue city like NYC, the primaries are the ONLY elections that matter.
- [Trump Says Fraud. Here's What ACTUALLY Happened in California](https://ivn.us/podcasts/trump-says-fraud-heres-what-actually-happened-in-california.md) - In this episode of Independent Voter Podcast, Chad, Shawn, and Cara break down the 2026 Los Angeles mayoral race and the explosive controversy surrounding ballot harvesting in California.
- [Maine Let Independents In — Then Made Candidates Earn a Majority](https://ivn.us/maine-let-independents-in-then-made-candidates-earn-a-majority.md) - The parties still had their primaries — but Maine gave independent voters a way in and every voter a stronger voice.
- [Presidential Primaries Are Built to Waste Votes. Ranked Choice Voting Could Change That.](https://ivn.us/presidential-primaries-are-built-to-waste-votes-ranked-choice-voting-could-change-that.md) - Both parties have those who resist change, to be sure, but here’s why ranked choice voting makes so much sense for both Democrats and Republicans.
- [Buffalo City Hall Tried to Kill Pro-Voter Reform Before Voters Could Weigh In](https://ivn.us/buffalo-city-hall-tried-to-kill-pro-voter-reform-before-voters-could-weigh-in.md) - Voters have a chance to vote on open primaries, ranked choice voting, and better ballot access rules, even if City Hall doesn't
- [No, It's Not Fraud. It is Steyer $$$$...](https://ivn.us/newsletter-6-10-2026.md) - and Maine's biggest story has nothing to do with Graham Platner
- [It Wasn't Fraud. It's Steyer $$$$.](https://ivn.us/it-wasnt-fraud-its-steyer.md) - The conspiracy theory is that California cheated. The reality is that Top Two forced Democrats to fight each other in public.
- [Mississippi Independent Ty Pinkins Wants to Break Big Money’s Grip on the Senate](https://ivn.us/ty-pinkins-makes-the-case-for-sending-an-independent-caucus-to-the-senate.md) - The goal is to deny either party a working majority, then set terms before helping anyone organize the chamber. Pinkins offered a particularly specific account of what those terms would look like.
- [June Primaries Show the Promise and Pain of Running Outside the Parties](https://ivn.us/june-primaries-show-the-promise-and-pain-of-running-outside-the-parties.md) - Last Tuesday, June 2, voters in New Jersey, Iowa, South Dakota, Montana, New Mexico, and California showed up to the polls to vote in primaries. Well, voters who were allowed to do so, with several of those states closing independents out of the process.
- [Maine's Best Political Story Has Nothing to Do with Graham Platner's Sexting](https://ivn.us/maines-best-political-story-has-nothing-to-do-with-graham-platners-sexting.md) - All the attention is on Graham Platner's scandals, but something is happening in Maine that is unheard of in the rest of the country, and it is because of the state's use of ranked choice voting. Not all candidates are at each other's throats.
- [Oklahoma Rejected Nearly 58,000 Signatures for Open Primaries. Now Voters Want Answers.](https://ivn.us/oklahoma-rejected-nearly-58-000-signatures-for-open-primaries-now-voters-want-answers.md) - The Oklahoma secretary of state rejected the signatures of an open primary initiative. Now, voters are taking the matter to court.
- [California Voters Just Proved Why Party Bosses Hate Top Two](https://ivn.us/california-voters-just-proved-why-party-bosses-hate-top-two.md) - Leading up to the primary, party operatives used the scare tactic of a “Democrat lockout,” but not only did California voters prove this wrong, but they also revealed why nonpartisan open primaries work—voters make the decisions.
- [The Myth of Independent Voter Apathy Dies in New Mexico](https://ivn.us/the-myth-of-independent-voter-apathy-dies-in-new-mexico.md) - Independent voter turnout occurred despite virtually no government public education campaign to inform independents of their new voting rights
- [The Last Trusted Americans: Veterans Lead the Way in Independent Campaigns](https://ivn.us/the-last-trusted-americans-veterans-lead-the-way-in-independent-campaigns.md) - Veterans carry a credibility that no party label can manufacture, and at a moment when nearly every institution has shed public trust, it is the one identity that still commands broad, cross-partisan respect.
- [Cumulative Voting: The Little-Known Reform That Could Crack Open America’s Two-Party Lock](https://ivn.us/cumulative-voting-the-little-known-reform-that-could-crack-open-americas-two-party-lock.md) - Cumulative voting is another alternative to winner-take-all elections that has far more American uses today and is the one such alternative with a history in state legislative elections.
- [New Mexico’s First Semi-Open Primary Exposed the Cost of Locking Voters Out](https://ivn.us/new-mexicos-first-semi-open-primary-exposed-the-cost-of-locking-voters-out.md) - In 2026, more than 37,000 independent voters in New Mexico made history—a number that is more significant than one might think.
- [Critics PROVED WRONG About the “Top-Two” Primary in California (It WORKS)](https://ivn.us/podcasts/critics-proved-wrong-about-the-top-two-primary-in-california-it-works-2.md) - Political outsiders and independent voters shaped the outcome, debunking the disinformation campaign pushed by establishment party insiders who manufactured a fear narrative about two Republicans potentially advancing.
- [The Top Two Panic Wasn’t Analysis. It Was Political Manipulation.](https://ivn.us/the-top-two-panic-wasnt-analysis-it-was-political-manipulation.md) - California voters did exactly what voters tend to do: they evaluated the candidates, coalesced around viable contenders, and produced a result broadly reflective of the state's electorate.
- [In LA, Spencer Pratt Proves Anger with Democratic Party Leadership is Real](https://ivn.us/paul-rieckhoff-spencer-pratt-is-a-vessel-for-voter-anger-at-las-democratic-machine.md) - Spencer Pratt's campaign took off in LA, not because of his political leanings. It took off because he channeled voters' broad frustrations with City Hall and the partisan leadership that controls it.
- [Your Vote Isn’t the Problem. The System Is.](https://ivn.us/podcasts/your-vote-isnt-the-problem-the-system-is.md) - Right now, our election system rewards division. You don’t have to win by being good — you can win by making your opponent look terrible.
- [California Wanted a Governor’s Race. It Got a Political Cage Match.](https://ivn.us/california-wanted-a-governors-race-it-got-a-political-cage-match.md) - We looked at all the negative things the 8 major candidates for governor said about each other, about Donald Trump and MAGA, about Democrats, and about California — from debates, interviews, and paid ads, in their own words.
- [They Can't Read Their Own Polls...](https://ivn.us/they-cant-read-their-own-polls-3.md) - Latinos Go Big On Becerra and Open Primaries
- [Todd Achilles Says the Two Parties Broke Congress. Now He Wants Idaho to Help Break Their Grip.](https://ivn.us/todd-achilles-says-the-two-parties-broke-congress-now-he-wants-idaho-to-help-break-their-grip.md) - This isn't a candidate who left one party for the other. It's a candidate who spent time in both, looked around, and decided that the incentives that govern both are the fundamental problem.
- [Why Does It Take California So Long to Count Ballots?](https://ivn.us/why-does-it-take-california-so-long-to-count-ballots.md) - California has developed a reputation for taking as long as a month to fully count its ballots. The question many have is, why? Here is what voters need to know.
- [6 States Vote June 2. Independent Voters Don’t Have the Same Rights in Any of Them.](https://ivn.us/6-states-vote-june-2-independent-voters-dont-have-the-same-rights-in-any-of-them.md) - June 2 primary elections are being held in several states across the US. And when it comes to independent voters and their rights, none of them have the same rules.
- [California’s Big Independent Test Arrives on Primary Day](https://ivn.us/californias-big-independent-test-arrives-on-primary-day.md) - Plus, in Idaho, Maine, Montana, Nebraska, independent candidates are qualifying for the ballot and turning heads.
- [New Mexico Independents Finally Get a Primary Vote — And They’re Using It Where It Counts](https://ivn.us/new-mexico-independents-finally-get-a-primary-vote-and-theyre-using-it-where-it-counts.md) - The media reports that nearly 80% of independent voters who participated in early voting picked a Democratic ballot. What the story missed, however, was why.
- [A Roadmap for Independent Success? Karen Matthews Outraised Democrats in CA-23.](https://ivn.us/a-roadmap-for-independent-success-karen-matthews-outraised-democrats-in-ca-23.md) - If she advances past the Top Two primary, it would be more than a local upset. It would be evidence that something structural has shifted in American politics. It’ll also say something important about California’s nonpartisan primary system.
- [An Open Letter to My Fellow Secretary of State Candidates:  Where Is Our Debate About Democracy?](https://ivn.us/an-open-letter-to-my-fellow-secretary-of-state-candidates-where-is-our-debate-about-democracy.md) - With our country’s democracy in severe crisis, incredibly, there are no secretary of state candidate forums nor debates scheduled between us.
- [The Fight Over Open Primaries Is Now a Fight Over Who Owns Democracy](https://ivn.us/the-fight-over-open-primaries-is-now-a-fight-over-who-owns-democracy.md) - Something big is happening in the debate over open primaries - and the political narrative this primary election season is changing fast.
- [Poll: Only 22% of Latino Voters Support Return to Partisan Primaries. Becerra Big Lead for Governor.](https://ivn.us/poll-only-22-of-latino-voters-support-return-to-partisan-primaries-bacerra-big-lead-for-governor.md) - A majority of California Latino voters say they want to keep the nonpartisan Top Two primary or modify it to advance more than two candidates to the general election. They don't want the state to go back to closed primaries.
- [How Party Insiders KILLED Florida's Open Primary (57% of Voters Said YES)](https://ivn.us/podcasts/how-party-insiders-killed-floridas-open-primary-57-of-voters-said-yes.md) - Chad Peace and Cara McCormick sit down with Political No Brainer host Jeff Rabinowitz to unpack how Florida's two-party system buries voting reform - and the closed-primary lawsuit now knocking on the Supreme Court's door.
- [Congress Finally Notices the Gerrymandering War Politicians Started](https://ivn.us/congress-finally-notices-the-gerrymandering-war-politicians-started.md) - A bipartisan group of House members says it wants to stop politicians from choosing their voters — but the real test is whether Congress can act before the map-rigging arms escalates again.
- [How California's Top Two Nonpartisan Primary Transformed the Legislature](https://ivn.us/how-californias-top-two-nonpartisan-primary-transformed-the-legislature.md) - The system Republican and Democratic party insiders want to "undo" produced a legislature where women hold 49 percent of seats, people of color hold 55 percent, and Latinos have reached a third of the body for the first time.
- [Texas GOP Looks at 7% Turnout and Says: Let’s Make the Primary Smaller](https://ivn.us/texas-gop-looks-at-7-turnout-and-says-lets-make-the-primary-smaller.md) - Ken Paxton won the Republican Senate runoff with roughly 4.7% of registered Texas voters. Now the Texas GOP wants fewer voters in its primaries.
- [The Forces Trying to Kill 'Top Two' Can't Read Their Own Polling](https://ivn.us/the-forces-trying-to-kill-top-two-cant-read-their-own-polling.md) - A partisan pollster finds 70% support for open primaries and calls it erosion
- [No Ballot in the Mail? California Voters Still Have Options Before June 2](https://ivn.us/no-ballot-in-the-mail-california-voters-still-have-options-before-june-2.md) - With the June 2 primary days away, voters who never received a ballot — or lost, damaged, or made a mistake on one — are not out of options.
- [Deadlines Loom as Independent Candidates Hit the Two-Party Wall](https://ivn.us/deadlines-loom-as-independent-candidates-hit-the-two-party-wall.md) - Independent candidates are making waves across the US, but they are also starting to hit the toughest barriers erected by the two-party machinery.
- [California Voters Don’t Like Either Party. Good Thing the Primary Doesn’t Belong to The Parties.](https://ivn.us/california-voters-dont-like-either-party-good-thing-the-primary-doesnt-belong-to-the-parties.md) - With ballots already in voters’ hands, the June 2 primary is testing whether California’s independent-minded electorate understands how much power it has.
- [Guide to California’s Political Parties and Their Official Platforms](https://ivn.us/guide-to-californias-political-parties-and-their-official-platforms.md) - Each of the state's qualified parties outlines its vision in official Statements of Purpose filed with the California Secretary of State.
- [El voto latino puede decidir la primaria de California el 2 de junio. La mayoría no va a votar.](https://ivn.us/el-voto-latino-puede-decidir-la-primaria-de-california-el-2-de-junio-la-mayoria-no-va-a-votar.md) - Una campaña estatal no partidista, Tu Primaria, está cerrando la brecha de participación entre los votantes latinos e independientes de California antes de que termine el período de votación.
- [California's Most Powerful Voting Bloc Is the One Staying Home](https://ivn.us/californias-most-powerful-voting-bloc-is-the-one-staying-home.md) - Independent and Latino voters can decide the June 2 primary. Most won't show up. A statewide nonpartisan campaign is racing to change that before ballots are due.
- [When Do Vote Centers Open in California?](https://ivn.us/when-do-vote-centers-open-in-california.md) - What California voters need to know about vote center dates, hours, and locations for the June 2 primary
- [Report: California Has Tried Ranked Choice Voting for 20 Years. The Scare Tactics Don’t Hold Up.](https://ivn.us/report-california-has-tried-ranked-choice-voting-for-20-years-the-scare-tactics-dont-hold-up.md) - A new FairVote report finds RCV cities in California have saved money, increased participation in decisive elections, and elected more women and candidates of color.
- [Independent Mike Duggan Didn’t Lose to Michigan Voters. He Lost to the Two-Party Machine.](https://ivn.us/independent-mike-duggan-didnt-lose-to-michigan-voters-he-lost-to-the-two-party-machine.md) - Duggan’s story is not a new one. Independent candidates across the country have run into the same wall, with many never even making it to Election Day.
- [The DNC Wrote a 2024 Autopsy — and Ignored the Cause of Death](https://ivn.us/the-dnc-wrote-a-2024-autopsy-and-ignored-the-cause-of-death.md) - The most glaring failure isn't what the report got wrong—it's in what it doesn't address at all: independent voters.
- [Locked Out at the Polls: Pennsylvania’s 1.5 Million Independents Demand a Voice](https://ivn.us/locked-out-at-the-polls-pennsylvanias-1-5-million-independents-demand-a-voice.md) - Independent voters in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh showed up at polling places across Pennsylvania on Tuesday with a simple message: stop locking 1.5 million voters out of taxpayer-funded elections. But there's more!
- [Veterans Group to Court: Don’t Let Party Bosses Shut Independents Out of Texas Primaries](https://ivn.us/veterans-group-to-court-dont-let-party-bosses-shut-independents-out-of-texas-primaries.md) - A veteran-led election reform group is asking a federal court to reject an effort by the Republican Party of Texas to close the state’s primary elections. It's a move that would lock out millions of independent voters in one of the most politically consequential states in the US.
- [Democrats and MAGA Are Working Together on THIS (Not What You Expect)](https://ivn.us/podcasts/democrats-and-maga-are-working-together-on-this-not-what-you-expect-2.md) - You'd think Democrats and MAGA Republicans agree on nothing - but they just quietly teamed up to do one specific thing: shut 7 million California independent voters out of the primary. We're naming names.
- [CA Gov Campaign Without the Smears … or the Commentary](https://ivn.us/ca-gov-campaign-without-the-smears-or-the-commentary.md) - We combed the internet to present, in one place, each California Gubernatorial candidate’s “best case,” absent all the attacks and without any editorial comment from us.
- [The Gerrymandering Wars Have a Wild Card: Independent Voters](https://ivn.us/the-gerrymandering-wars-have-a-wild-card-independent-voters.md) - Independents showing up in record numbers—as they did in the 2024 presidential election—would allow the bloc to potentially shift a number of seats against the gerrymander.
- [Embrace the Jungle Primary. We're Back.](https://ivn.us/embrace-the-jungle-primary-were-back.md) - IVN relaunch elevates the biggest battles for voting rights, and more
- [RCV Poll: Harris vs Newsom Is the Wrong Question. Voters Want Backup Choices in 2028](https://ivn.us/rcv-poll-harris-vs-newsom-is-the-wrong-question-voters-want-backup-choices-in-2028.md) - The 2028 Democratic presidential primary is still years away, but the early polling is already revealing a familiar problem: A crowded field can make voter preferences look flatter, narrower, and more divided than they actually are.
- [Maine Voters Don’t Need a Party Label to Have More Choice on June 9](https://ivn.us/maine-voters-dont-need-a-party-label-to-have-more-choice-on-june-9.md) - Ranked Choice Voting will be used statewide in Maine on June 9, 2026, and voters don't need to join a party to get a say in these taxpayer-funded primaries.
- [CADEM Chair Supports Repealing Top Two. Here's What He's Not Telling Voters.](https://ivn.us/cadem-chair-supports-repealing-top-two-heres-what-hes-not-telling-voters.md) - This week, the Democratic Party chair chose to abandon more than 5 million independent voters in California to embrace a regressive proposal to roll back voter rights.
- [No, You Don’t Need to Register with a Party to Vote in California’s Primary](https://ivn.us/no-you-dont-need-to-register-with-a-party-to-vote-in-californias-primary.md) - When Independent Voter posted a series of videos about primary turnout on its Facebook page, the comments revealed a startling reality: Many voters think California’s semi-closed presidential primary rules apply to the 2026 midterm elections.
- [A Top-Two Democrat Race for Governor? In California, That May Be What a Healthy Democracy Actually Looks Like](https://ivn.us/a-top-two-democrat-race-for-governor-in-california-that-may-be-what-a-healthy-democracy-actually-looks-like.md) - The state’s nonpartisan Top-Two primary was never designed to produce a Democrat vs. Republican Race or to prevent two Democrats or two Republicans from being in the final contest.
- [California’s Top Two Primary Needs an Upgrade, Not a Repeal](https://ivn.us/californias-top-two-primary-needs-an-upgrade-not-a-repeal.md) - Instead of turning back the clock, California should continue its history of pro-voter reform and build on the top-two system – by adding ranked-choice voting to its elections.
- [Undo the Top-Two? California Candidates Weigh In, and the Responses Might Surprise You](https://ivn.us/undo-the-top-two-california-candidates-weigh-in-and-the-responses-might-surprise-you.md) - Democrats, Republicans and Greens for Constitutional Office publicly defend the right of every voter to participate. The Democratic secretary of state is on the record saying she would prefer a return to closed partisan primaries. Most statewide candidates won’t say where they stand.
- [Independent Power Watch: Candidates Rise as Voters Sour on Both Parties](https://ivn.us/independent-power-watch-candidates-rise-as-voters-sour-on-both-parties.md) - Independent candidates surge in several states, while 30% of independent voters are so unhappy with their choices that they plan to sit out the midterm election entirely.
- ['Brazen and Unlawful': California GOP Tells Republican Carl DeMaio to Stop Deceiving Primary Voters](https://ivn.us/brazen-and-unlawful-california-gop-tells-republican-carl-demaio-to-stop-deceiving-primary-voters.md) - While California voters are making their decisions ahead of the June 2 primary election, the state Republican Party has sent a cease-and-desist letter to Assemblymember Carl DeMaio, one of its own, over mailers the party says is a “calculated deception."
- [Latinos Will Be the Most Powerful Voting Bloc, Once They Start Voting in Primaries](https://ivn.us/latinos-will-be-the-most-powerful-voting-bloc-once-they-start-voting-in-primaries.md) - California’s nonpartisan primary system is built around a simple promise: Every voter gets a say. But, not every voter takes advantage of this. There is a noticeable turnout gap with Latino voters, in particular, who could completely reshape the electoral landscape if they participate.
- [Nebraska's Senate Race Is a Mess – And We Have Our Voting System To Thank](https://ivn.us/nebraskas-senate-race-is-a-mess-and-we-have-our-voting-system-to-thank.md) - How first-past-the-post voting turned a primary election into accusations of planted candidates, strategic surrenders, and a Democrat who ran to withdraw.
- [Los latinos serán el bloque de votantes más poderoso, en cuanto empiecen a votar en las primarias](https://ivn.us/los-latinos-seran-el-bloque-de-votantes-mas-poderoso-en-cuanto-empiecen-a-votar-en-las-primarias.md) - El sistema de primarias no partidistas de California está construido sobre una promesa muy sencilla: cada votante tiene voz. Pero no todos los votantes aprovechan esto.
- [How California Built the Most Voter-Friendly State in America](https://ivn.us/how-california-built-the-most-voter-friendly-state-in-america-2026-05-14.md) - California has created one of the most voter-friendly election systems in the nation. Three distinct policies work together to make that possible: a codified set of voter protections, a modernized election model that increases access, and a primary system that opens every race to every voter.
- [The Bipartisan Plot to Lock 6.2 Million California Voters Out of Elections](https://ivn.us/podcasts/the-bipartisan-plot-to-lock-6-2-million-california-voters-out-of-elections.md) - Chad, Cara, and Shawn break down the brewing bipartisan campaign to repeal California's Top Two primary - exactly the move IVP has been predicting for months.
- [More Choice California Launches to Defend Nonpartisan Primary as Democratic and Republican Operatives Join Forces to Repeal It](https://ivn.us/more-choice-california-launches-to-defend-nonpartisan-primary-as-democratic-and-republican-operatives-quietly-join-forces-to-repeal-it-2026-05-13.md) - A broad cross-partisan coalition of California reformers launched More Choice California on Monday to lead the opposition against a proposed repeal of the state's nonpartisan Top Two primary system.
- [NEW POLL: Pratt and Becerra Lead Among Los Angeles General Election Voters](https://ivn.us/new-poll-pratt-and-becerra-lead-among-los-angeles-general-election-voters-2026-05-12.md) - If the November general election were held today with the same electorate that turned out in 2022, Spencer Pratt would lead at 27%, followed by Karen Bass at 24% and Nithya Raman at 23%.
- [California Nonpartisan Primary is Throwing a Wrench in the Democratic Party’s Prop 50 Gerrymandering Effort](https://ivn.us/california-redrew-its-congressional-map-but-are-voters-being-told-what-changed-under-their-feet-2026-05-12.md) - The national story is about which party gains seats. However, this obscures the local impact. Even if temporary, many voters in California will not have the same voting power they had in previous election cycles.
- [The Real Losers in Virginia, SCOTUS Redistricting Decisions are “Progressives” and Trump](https://ivn.us/the-real-losers-in-virginia-scotus-decisions-on-redistricting-are-progressives-and-trump-2026-05-11.md) - In all the drama on redistricting people are overlooking what the courts actually did: They made life miserable for extremists.
- [California’s Election Referee Is on the Ballot – And Almost No One Is Watching](https://ivn.us/californias-election-referee-is-on-the-ballot-and-almost-no-one-is-watching-2026-05-11.md) - Mail-in ballots are out, and voting has begun in California’s June 2 primary. This election, though, is not just about who wins power. It is also a fight over who voters trust to run the system.
- [DC Political Machine Refuses to Implement Landmark Voting Rights Initiative](https://ivn.us/we-cant-afford-it-is-never-an-acceptable-excuse-to-deny-independents-a-vote-2026-05-11.md) - The DC City Council has refused to fully fund and implement Initiative 83, the semi-open primary and ranked choice voting measure that was approved by 73% of voters in 2024.
- [NYC Shuts Out Half Its Voters. The Forward Party Supports a New Bill to Change That.](https://ivn.us/nyc-shuts-out-half-its-voters-the-forward-party-supports-a-new-bill-to-change-that-2026-05-08.md) - The polarization we see in our politics is not a mystery. It is the predictable output of a system designed to produce it. Nothing meaningful can change until we fix the structure that keeps producing these outcomes.
- [Both Parties Are Fundraising Off a California Primary Crisis that Polls Show Doesn’t Exist](https://ivn.us/both-parties-are-fundraising-off-a-california-primary-crisis-that-polls-show-doesnt-exist-2026-05-07.md) - The message from party leaders on both sides is predicated on a hypothetical – a “doomsday scenario” that will scare their voters into thinking the worst possible outcome will happen if they don’t “chip in.”
- [California Governor Debate Takeaways: What Independent Voters Need to Know](https://ivn.us/california-governor-debate-takeaways-what-independent-voters-need-to-know-2026-05-07.md) - Topic-by-topic takeaways from the final debates in the California governor's race.
- [The TRUTH About California's "Jungle" Primary Governor Election (Both Parties are WRONG)](https://ivn.us/podcasts/the-truth-about-californias-jungle-primary-governor-election-both-parties-are-wrong-2026-05-07.md) - Cara and Shawn break down the manufactured "jungle primary" panic out of California (there's roughly an 8% chance of a two-Republican general), then get into Wes Moore's surprise open-primary moment on Bill Maher and the awkward walk back that followed.
- [As California Dems Push a Two-Republican Panic, Their Own Poll Contradicts Their Message](https://ivn.us/california-dems-push-a-two-republican-panic-their-own-poll-contradicts-their-message-2026-05-06.md) - Neither of the two Republican candidates in the governor’s race, Hilton or Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, have gained ground as more undecided voters make their pick in the race or settle on a candidate.

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