The shocking assassination of Charlie Kirk has shaken the country and highlighted just how fractured our democracy has become. On this episode of the Independent Voter Podcast, Chad Peace and Cara McCormick reflect on the moment, drawing comparisons to the unity the nation felt after 9/11 and asking whether independent-minded reforms could help bring Americans back together.

From there, the conversation turns to New York City, where a chaotic mayoral race has exposed the limits of ranked choice voting when primaries remain closed to independents. Former Governor Andrew Cuomo and current Mayor Eric Adams are both running as independents, while the Democratic nominee Zahran Mamdani leads in a fractured four-way race. The system, as Chad and Cara point out, leaves millions of voters on the sidelines and shows how both major parties manipulate election rules to maintain control.

California, once the “gold standard” for independent redistricting, is now facing its own test. Governor Gavin Newsom has proposed undoing reforms that voters overwhelmingly supported, claiming it is necessary to compete with partisan gerrymandering in other states. Chad and Cara argue that this race-to-the-bottom mentality only deepens division, erodes trust, and undermines decades of hard work by reform advocates.

Their message is clear: unless we change the underlying structures of our elections, America could remain stuck in this cycle of fear, division, and violence.

Listen to this episode and more from Independent Voter Project on Spotify and Apple Music.