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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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnEzyyssU8A Hollywood actress Jennifer Lawrence is warning Memphis voters not to be tricked at the ballot box. Local voters passed laws 10 years ago that implement ranked choice voting (aka instant runoff voting), increase accountability, and enact term limits. Now, Lawrence says, city officials are trying to overturn all of it. The Save IRV Memphis campaign is calling on voters to say no to all 3 charter questions on the November ballot. The questions are: I.

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

COLORADO - Imagine an anti-gerrymandering campaign that had such broad support across the political spectrum that it was endorsed by both major political parties, was overwhelmingly approved for the ballot by the state legislature, and bans partisan gerrymandering completely. Sounds impossible, doesn't it? Especially in today's political environment. If something threatens the power of the parties, there is no way they will endorse it. Yet, in the purple state of Colorado, such a campaign does

Here’s the final list of propositions that made the cut for the November election. On the list are proposals to slash the gas tax, re-introduce rent control, absolve major corporations of their legal debt, and borrow billions to fund houses, hospitals, and water canals. Propositions on the November 2018 California ballot Reported by Ben Christopher. Interactive by John Osborn D'Agostino. PROP 1: AFFORDABLE HOUSING BOND WHAT IT DOES Give the state permission to borrow $4 billion to fund af

The success of Maine as the first state to use ranked choice voting statewide has brought newfound national attention to ranked choice voting. There’s much to like in this replacement to our fractious, problematic, and outdated plurality voting method. Voters can vote for their top choice without fear of splitting the vote. More candidates and parties can compete without the label of “spoiler.” Campaigns become more civil and less prone to negative attacks. The winner is the consensus, majority

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

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

A central element of this remarkable year in election reform has been the pivot of the anti-gerrymandering fight from the courts to the ballot boxes. As has been widely reported, five states vote this year on state constitutional amendments to block partisan gerrymandering and fundamentally change how redistricting is done, far more than in any other year. Ohio approved its amendment in May with 75% support; four others -- Colorado, Michigan, Missouri, and Utah -- will vote in November. Nearly

Running a campaign outside the two-party apparatus is not easy. I have reported on the many barriers in place that are hostile to independent and third party candidates even launching a campaign. However, even when these candidates do make it on the ballot and present a viable challenge to the political status quo, they still face a media and campaign environment that marginalizes their candidacy at every level. Case in point, in Kansas, the three candidates for governor -- Republican Kris Kob