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It doesn’t seem like there is much these days that can unite Republicans and Democrats. However, one thing both parties have consistently agreed on is that nothing should threaten their grip on power. The current electoral process is designed to serve the interests of the dominant two parties and their members. If there is a reform that threatens to upset the apple cart, it will encounter resistance from those who have the most to lose from a fairer, more equitable process. This will include l

For a long time, pollsters, political pundits, candidates, and the media have ignored the rise of independent voters. They have called independents “closet partisans” or “leaners,” and they justify this by how the media twists the narrative. Gallup has consistently found that around 4-in-10 Americans self-identify as independent. However, instead of asking why these voters choose not to identify with a political party, pollsters then ask, “Well, which of the two major parties do you lean more t

Photo by Pete Alexopoulos on Unsplash Early voting is underway in Texas for the March 1 primary. The results in both parties could advance candidates to an expensive, low-turnout primary runoff. However, ranked choice voting advocates say their reform could save taxpayers millions of dollars and produce the best results. “The nation's first primary of 2022 dramatically demonstrates why ranked choice voting has become our nation's fastest growing reform,” said FairVote President and CEO Rob Ric

Renowned democratic strategist Joe Trippi joins host T. J. O’Hara on Deconstructed to explore a variety of critical political issues. Mr. Trippi brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the show. He has worked on many Presidential, Gubernatorial, and United States House and Senate campaigns and has been a regular commentator on a wide variety of network news and opinion shows. He is currently the host of That Trippi Show and recently joined The Lincoln Project, which is usually cast as a c

The Supreme Court holds one of the most delicate roles in our republic. This is not only because of judicial review, which gives that branch virtually unlimited power to dictate both changes as well as continuity in our nation’s development. It is also because court must perpetuate the public’s perception that they are the most impartial branch of government, in order to retain their stature and legitimacy. That perception is at least in part deceiving. As Rachel Sheldon explains, the public pe

Over 500 citizens from around the country tuned in for Independent Voting's 20th Annual Anti-Corruption Awards, held virtually on October 25th.   Independent Voting Vice President for National Development Cathy Stewart and Independent Voting advocate Amikka Burl hosted a fast-moving and entertaining show featuring activists and actors of the burgeoning independent movement. Awards were presented honoring Farhad Mohit, Gaby Cardenas and Katherine M. Gehl, three innovators who recognize the impo

Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in The Fulcrum and has been republished on IVN with permission from the publisher. ‍ With the 2021 redistricting cycle in full swing, one-third of the country has already solidified some of its new state and federal districts for the next decade. Sixteen states have completed at least one redistricting plan so far, with 11 of them finalizing maps for both Congress and the state legislature (setting aside states with one congressional district).

Legislatures and redistricting commissions across the United States are in the process of drawing new maps for their legislative and congressional districts, and some states have already drawn new lines to give the party in power even more of an advantage while denying voters opportunities for meaningful representation. RepresentUs and the Princeton Gerrymandering Project have collaborated on a Redistricting Report Card so voters can get up-to-date information on new maps and what impact they w

The momentum powering the ranked choice voting movement doesn’t appear to be slowing down. Along with being used in a record number of cities in 2021, voters in 3 additional cities approved its use in future elections. Thirty-two cities across 7 states (DE, MA, ME, MI, MN, NM, and UT) used ranked choice voting for their November 2 elections. Twenty-two of those cities used the alternative voting method for the first time, most of which were located in Utah. It is important to note that there i

The current term of the Supreme Court promises to be one of the most pivotal in decades. Although abortion has received most of the attention, with both the new Texas bounty law and a direct attack on Roe v. Wade by Mississippi on the docket, the justices will rule on many other inflammatory issues, including challenges to voting laws passed in Republican-controlled states that may well determine the future of American democracy. After two centuries in which both the right to vote and ability t