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According to FBI statistics released this week, marijuana arrests in the United States actually increased to 659,700 in 2017 over 2016's total of 653,249. That's despite the fact that in 2017, the number of states that legalized marijuana for medicinal or recreational use reached a total of 29 (plus Washington DC). As 2016 came to a close, the biggest winner in the hotly contested election seemed to be marijuana legalization, which passed at the ballot box in eight different states, bringing th

I. The State of Self-Driving Car Technology and The Possibilities In the 1990 film, Total Recall (starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sharon Stone), the protagonist played by the now former governor of California hails a self-driving car with a humanoid, robotic attendant sitting where a human driver would. What makes the surreal scene eerily prophetic is how Schwarzenegger asks the AI cab driver questions like one might ask Alexa, Siri, or Google's voice assistant, and the "Johnny Cab" sasses

Early voting has changed the game in modern politics, and that means snail mail is winning. On Friday, absentee voting kicked off in three states: Minnesota, Virginia, and South Dakota, and it signals the final phase of ‘midterms 2018.’  Sort of. It has slowed down the maneuvers of a campaign culture that has always prized speed and power, forcing it to now meet the wants of an electorate that has threatened a formerly predictable timeline by lengthening it. And if the recent past is any indic

What are the main take-aways from the 2018 primary season from an election reform perspective? In summary, some good news, some problems, and some emerging solutions. The good news is that competition and participation both increased significantly in 2018, as more people ran, more people voted, and more primaries actually offered choice to voters. The number of candidates seeking office jumped by 30% compared with 2016, and the percent of primaries that were contested also rose significantly, p

The 2018 midterm elections are about to heat up. Much of the focus is on which of the two major parties will have control of Congress after November 6 -- are we looking at a blue wave or a red wave? What gets less attention are the third party and independent candidates who are trying to break through the two-party duopoly and offer voters an alternative. Candidates like Gary Johnson, who arguably stands the best chance of being the first member of the Libertarian Party to be elected to the upp

Washington, D.C.- On Tuesday the Senate confirmation hearing begins for Brett Kavanaugh, President Trump’s pick for Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. If confirmed, Kavanaugh would tip the balance of the bench, with conservative justices holding the majority. Trump's nominee will be introduced at his hearing by Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Kavanaugh's extensive political and judicial record which has already drawn criticism from both Democrats

To have their voices heard and enact change, citizens are urged to use their vote. But how can America's population be truly represented when, in some states, it is nearly impossible for independent or minor party candidates to even appear on voters' ballots? What good is a "fair" vote when viable candidates are undermined by strict ballot access laws that favor the two major parties? Clearly, election reform at state and federal levels is desperately needed. Here are 8 of America's worst ballo

I am concerned with the July 24, 2018 op-ed titled, Virginia Republican: “Ranked Choice Voting Most Superior Voting Method in US.”  While the statements are true, what is missing speaks volumes and illustrates why IRV/RCV may not be in the best interests of independent voters. The op-ed starts with a quote asserting “Ranked Choice Voting, or Instant Run-Off Voting, is by far the most superior method of electing representatives available in the United States.” That is currently true. What it doe

In an op-ed for the online site “The Bull Elephant,” Caroline County (Va.) Republican Party member Steven Brodie Tucker writes, “Ranked Choice Voting, or Instant Run-Off Voting, is by far the most superior method of electing representatives available in the United States…”Tucker wrote ranked choice voting (RCV) would “grow the Republican Party” because more voters would be willing to participate in Party politics “if they felt that their voice actually mattered.” He asked the point of having Con

SAN DIEGO, CALIF. – The United States Supreme Court’s ruling in Janus v. AFSCME may serve as a landmark decision. While traditional media outlets and the Democratic establishment are already discrediting the decision, the gnashing of teeth may be relatively short-sighted. The very basis of this decision could be used as precedent to attack the Court’s decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, 558 U.S. 310 (2010). Both cases were predicated on First Amendment protections. The J