IVN Editorial BoardMaine just reminded the country what a healthy primary looks like. Turnout on June 9 was so strong that some towns ran out of ballots. Election officials are now running the ranked-choice tabulation in five races, the ninth time the state has used the system statewide. The usual fearmongering showed up on cue. The panic machine is already coming up empty.
We've also got news of our own. IVN has entered a collaborative partnership with the Latino News Network and The Fulcrum. Three outlets, one shared conviction: American democracy is best served by journalism that reaches the people most often left out of the conversation.
The rest of the week's coverage stays on the same fault line. Steve Peace explains why California fraud claims can't be proved either way. John Palmer makes the case to fix Top-Two rather than scrap it. And Jeremy Gruber reports on New York City independents pushing back on a system built to ignore them.
And if you want to go deeper this week, there's a free event worth your time. This Thursday, June 18, from 5:30 to 6:30 PM ET, the Forward Party and Open Primaries are hosting a virtual town hall on ballot access in New Mexico, Texas, and Arizona. Featuring Jeremy Gruber of Open Primaries and Oliver Hall of the Center for Competitive Democracy. Free and open to all.
Check out more stories that go outside the two-sided narrative below.
FEATURED ▶▶▶
Maine’s Ranked-Choice Count Starts, and the Panic Machine Is Already Losing
Three high-profile contests are headed to RCV: the Democratic and Republican gubernatorial primaries and the Democratic race in Maine's 2nd Congressional District, none of which produced a majority winner on election night. Results are expected before Friday's Juneteenth holiday - and despite the usual round of fearmongering, the panic machine is already coming up empty.
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This Thursday: Virtual Town Hall on Ballot Access in New Mexico, Texas, and Arizona
Take a close look at three states where the stakes are high with Jeremy Gruber of Open Primaries and Oliver Hall of the Center for Competitive Democracy and dig into the barriers facing independent and non-major-party candidates.
Join by video here on Thursday.
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ANNOUNCEMENT ▶▶▶
IVN Joins Forces with Latino News Network & The Fulcrum to Expand Voter-First Journalism
Independent Voter News (IVN) has entered into a collaborative partnership with the Latino News Network (LNN) and The Fulcrum, bringing together three outlets whose editorial missions converge on a shared conviction: that American democracy is best served by journalism that reaches the people most often left out of the conversation.
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Independent Voter Podcast
Chad, Shawn, and Cara break down the five-day vote count that knocked Spencer Pratt out of the LA mayoral runoff - and why "fraud" is the wrong story.
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Gavin Newsom Accuses Trump of Sending Federal Agents to Harass Wife's Friends
Why are federal agents knocking on the doors of Gavin Newsom's wife's friends?
Our clip of Newsom has received over 200K views and counting on Instagram.
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