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California citizens should be cautious when they register to vote. According to the grassroots campaign, Don't Be AIPrl_Fooled, hundreds of thousands of Californians have registered as members of the American Independent Party (AIP) believing that by doing so they are registering "independent" of any party or any single ideology. The truth is, AIP is a party with strong ideological roots dating back to 1967.According to voter registration data, AIP is not only the fastest growing political part

It seems that in every cycle there is debate about which states should hold the first presidential primary elections. Some state always seems to try to jump ahead of Iowa and New Hampshire. Since 1972, the Iowa Caucuses have been first in the nation and New Hampshire has been the first "primary" since 1920. There, of course, have been states that have attempted to circumvent Iowa and New Hampshire, claiming that they don't truly represent America as they are small states with seemingly narrow

The late, great comedian George Carlin once said “if you vote, you have no right to complain .” There are two problems with that: voter disenfranchisement and ballot access for political parties. Nothing will change if not enough people vote, but if the options in the voting booths are also limited, the problem gets worse. Ballot access is complicated because it varies state-by-state, but the fact that people are complaining about their lack of ability to vote for the party of their choosing i

America's service men and women have in the past faced some obstacles when it comes to exercising their constitutional right to vote. However, several states have taken steps to remove some of these obstacles and comply with the 2009 Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment Act (MOVE). The MOVE act, passed in October 2009, requires states to implement several key changes in order to make voting easier for those who are away from home at election time. According to the Military Voter Protection P

Table of Contents State-by-state Information How Do Primaries Work? Partisan v. Nonpartisan Closed (Partisan) Semi-Closed (Partisan) Open (Partisan) Open (Nonpartisan) Variants of Traditional Election Systems Top-Two Nonpartisan Primaries Top-Four Primary Instant Runoff Voting Approval Voting Unified Primary Other Voter Resources Independent Movements in Your State GENERAL ELECTION DATE: November 4, 2014 How do I vote? The following voter guide is tailored to provide vital info

The history of voting rights in the U.S. has been a long battle of disharmony and disenfranchisement since the country’s formation and although freedom and voting are frequently associated with one another in our current culture, restrictions to true freedom in this regard still remain unsettled, contentious, and often unperceived. While democracy was forming in the colonies, the Old World ideology that it was nothing short of mob rule was held strongly by many prominent colonists, thereby limi

(Credit: ceasefiremagazine.co.uk) Late last week, the US Senate Judiciary Committee agreed to the wording of an amendment that will likely have consequences for the future of journalism. The amendment comes partly in reaction to leaks from former NSA contractor Edward Snowden to Guardian journalist Glenn Greenwald. The bill is partly designed to make it harder for journalists, particularly bloggers, to conceal sources. Also at play is the media shield law defining a journalist. As part of the

One-hundred and twelve legislative bodies have come and gone. We are now in the midst of our 113th Congress. And since our inception, only 27 of these assemblies have consisted of a sixty percent majority in both the House and the Senate; a partisan monopoly on government legislation that eventually became known as the filibuster proof majority. With a sixty percent lead in Congress, whichever party is in control would, theoretically, be impervious to roadblocks. But is an entire nation of peop

(Credit: Gage Skidmore) While National Security Agency (NSA) whistleblower Edward Snowden weighs his options about asylum, Michigan US Rep Justin Amash is seeking a way to defund the agency's most controversial programs. In early June, it was revealed that the NSA had been conducting extensive domestic spying on American citizens. Despite much fanfare for the leaker Snowden, these programs have remained virtually unchanged. Then on Monday, Michigan Republican Justin Amash announced his intent

In off-election years, years where there are no major elections for national office, voters tend to hear much less about the electoral system in their state. For all the fervor surrounding heated races, most voters welcome the brief reprieve from the 24-news cycle and advertising bombardments that accompany election cycles. Ohio is proving to be the exception this year. Independent Ohio, a grassroots organization dedicated to building a movement that supports structural political reforms to op