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Voter turnout in the United States is disturbingly low. In the 2008 presidential election, voter turnout was higher than it had been in a generation, but barely 60% of eligible voters bothered to cast a ballot. In non-presidential election years, the numbers are even worse, with over 60% of eligible voters opting not to vote. Given these dismal numbers, one would think that states across the country would seek to implement policies that would encourage participation in the electoral process. Ins

On Monday, Secretary of State Debra Bowen officially certified Americans Elect to appear on California's ballots for the 2012 elections.  The addition brings the number of qualified political parties in the state to seven, including the American Independent, Democrat, Green, Libertarian, Peace and Freedom and Republican parties.  It is the first time a new political entity has been certified by the state since 1995. There are two ways in which a political body can achieve ballot access in the G

The average age of farmers and ranchers in America is increasing, and rural populations are in decline. This is why the U.S. Department of Agriculture is acting to plant a new crop of much needed agricultural producers here in California and across the nation. Last week, Ag Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan announced this year's winners of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture's (NIFA) 'Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program' (BFRDP). According to a NIFA news release, a tota

Late last week, Public Policy Polling released the results of a survey gauging support for seven potential Independent candidates for President in 2012.  Four out of the seven polled in the double digits, despite the fact that none has definitively stated an intention to seek the nation's highest office as an Independent. The automated survey of 700 registered voters was conducted between August 18th and August 21st.  The poll asked respondents how they would vote in seven different hypothetica

Central Falls, a densely populated and impoverished city of nearly 20,000 in Rhode Island, filed for Chapter 9 bankruptcy on August 1, citing unaffordable pension and retiree health care liabilities. The city said it had no choice after retirees refused to accept any cuts. A retired state Supreme Court judge now oversees their finances, and the city is asking him to impose “a prudent plan” which would lower what pensioners are paid. The California city of Vallejo is just now emerging out of ban

PG&E fought against it, but Marin Clean Energy prevailed and now residents there can choose renewable energy via Community Choice Aggregation. Under Community Choice Aggregation (CCA), communities can choose what type of power they want with distribution left to the big utilities.  It recently received a huge boost from the state legislature under a new law which allows CCAs to count customers as participating unless they specifically opt out. The Marin CCA now offers two types of renewable ene

As  the Independent movement grows in strength, a backlash from the partisans of the major parties and  political status quo is only to be expected, for they have the most to  lose in the face of a truly Independent electorate. However, the  supposed “myth of the Independent voter” is perhaps the strongest piece  of evidence that they are simply in denial. In May 2009, the Pew Research Center declared: “Independents take center stage in the age of Obama.” In the  months following the 2008 gene

Though  the mainstream political press has naturally focused on the stinging  Democratic losses and sweeping Republican gains in last week's  elections, 2010 has proven to be an historic year for third party and  Independent politics in the United States. One  of the primary motifs in media coverage of this year's elections has  been the public’s deep discontent with both the Democratic and  Republican parties.  In poll after poll, record numbers of  Americans opted to identify themselves as In

When  Americans cast their ballots at the polls next week, it is safe to  assume that many will be voting for candidates whom they consider to be  the "lesser of two evils."  However, in a number of high-profile races for  governor and US Senate, the lesser evil probably isn’t who you think it  is. When  partisans of the Democratic and Republicans parties seek to dissuade  others from voting for third party and Independent candidates for  office, they often have recourse to a number of stock ar

Political pundits and news commentators continue to speculate about the possibility of a strong third party or Independent political movement arising as we approach the 2012 presidential elections. But, in doing so, they overlook the third party and Independent political movements taking shape across the country right now, in 2010. In his Sunday column for the New York Times, Thomas Friedman predicted the rise of a serious third party threat to the Democratic-Republican political duopoly in the