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Attorney General Jeff Sessions' resignation from his post this week at the behest of the president was a cherry on top of another string of wins for the marijuana legalization movement in America. Although he was not asked to resign because of his overtly hostile position toward the marijuana legalization movement in the United States and the consumption of the plant itself (as a U.S. Senator he once said, "Good people don't smoke marijuana.")–– His removal from office does pave the way for a

SAN DIEGO, CALIF. - Game-changing proposals to end partisan gerrymandering passed in 3 states Tuesday -- with the results of a 4th (Utah) pending -- taking control of redistricting out of the hands of partisan politicians in favor of a nonpartisan system. Nonpartisan redistricting proposals were on the ballot in Colorado, Michigan, Missouri, and Utah. Though each proposal differs to various degrees, the goal for all of them was the same: implement a redistricting system that puts the interests

Amid all the divisive ugliness inside the Beltway, here is some good news: 2018 may well be the best year in a half century for election reform. Today’s narrative laments a crumbling democracy, alienated voters, and a political culture spiraling ever downward. While true, that narrative is incomplete. It misses the remarkable energy building across many states to confront these problems, shore up our democracy, and rebuild our political culture. Nowhere is that energy more apparent than in the

AUGUSTA, MAINE - It was announced this week that Hillary Clinton stepped into the Maine gubernatorial race to endorse Democratic nominee Janet Mills. Just a week before the election, the partisan political machine is churning harder to what could end up being a tight race on Election Day. The reason? Clinton announced several new endorsements in high-profile, tight races nationwide, including an endorsement for Michigan Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gretchen Whitmer, about which she said:

LANSING, MICH. - The Voters Not Politicians campaign sent out a press release Wednesday confirming that 19 radio stations in Michigan have pulled ads against its anti-gerrymandering amendment that the organization calls "misleading." "The radio spot, funded by the Michigan Freedom Fund, falsely claimed that Proposal 2 'writes a blank check' to members of the independent citizens redistricting commission created under the proposal, and that 'they can spend whatever they want' In fact, under the

Look at the person to your left. Now look at the person to your right. Odds are, at least one of them supports legalizing marijuana, and there's a good chance you probably do too. According to the latest Gallup poll, 66% of Americans now support legalizing marijuana. That's a new record high in an upward trend of support for marijuana legalization since Gallup began putting the question to survey takers a half century ago. As you can see from the graph, ending marijuana prohibition was not a p

Much of the media's election coverage two weeks out from Election Day is focused on what kind of wave we are seeing -- red or blue -- and how Donald Trump will affect the outcome of the midterms. However, what often gets overlooked are the stories that matter to independent-minded voters. Here are the top 5 stories in nonpartisan news to start your week: 1. Nation's Only Independent Governor Suspends Re-Election Bid Alaska Governor Bill Walker announced late Friday that he is suspending his

Voters in Colorado, Michigan, Missouri, and Utah are voting on whether to hand control over drawing electoral districts to independent redistricting commissions. With two weeks to go, here’s a rundown of what these ballot questions would do, who’s for and against, and their prospects of winning. Fair Maps Colorado - Amendments Y and Z In Colorado, there are twin constitutional amendments on the ballot backed by Fair Maps Colorado. Amendment Y sets up a multi-partisan independent redistrictin

LANSING, MICH. - Michigan’s congressional districts rank among the most gerrymandered in the country. In fact, a new project providing historical data on gerrymandering identifies Michigan’s congressional districts as “more skewed than 95 percent of the enacted plans ... analyzed nationwide.” The state is divided nearly evenly between voters who prefer Democrats and those who prefer Republicans, yet eight of its 14 districts are solidly Republican - and only two are outside FairVote’s highest c

LOS ANGELES, CALIF. - Election security was once a niche topic, but after the DNC revealed that its computers had been penetrated by Russian hackers in the Summer of 2016, it has entered the mainstream awareness as an urgent matter of national import. During this time of heightened scrutiny to safeguard against foreign interference in U.S. elections, the choice of a foreign tech company with a dubious past and strong ties to the Venezuelan government to overhaul LA County's antiquated voting sy