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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 There’s much to like in this replacement to our fractious, problematic, and outdated plurality voting method.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

Political reformers across America are paying close attention to key elections on November 6. But their focus is not on candidates or political parties. It’s about how Americans vote on ballot measures to unrig the system. Here are some highlights: Voters Not Politicians (Michigan) In Michigan, an anti-gerrymandering measure is on the ballot after Voters Not Politicians gathered more than 425,000 petition signatures with only volunteers within just 110 days. The measure creates an independen

While viewing a map of congressional districts, one may believe they are examining an unsolvable puzzle. The same type of puzzle where you dump thousands of tiny colored pieces out of a box onto your kitchen table and immediately realize you have a bad case of buyer’s remorse. Similarly, on the district map, small jagged lines paired with long shapes seem to stretch through and around counties in a way that can best be described as completely unconventional. These shapes have come about as a re

Results from Washington state's top two nonpartisan open primary pit Dr. Ann Diamond, an independent, against a Republican in the November general election for the open seat in state's 12th Legislative District House of Representatives. If she wins she will be the only fully independent lawmaker in the legislature. She is backed by Unite America, an organization that lifts up viable independents across the nation, and was a featured speaker on the "Big Wins of 2018" panel at the Unite Summit in

It's been nearly three months since Steve Poizner swept the June 5 primaries in California with 41% of the vote for the office of state insurance commissioner and made history with the win. There is a reason that Poizner was a featured speaker on "Big Wins of 2018" at the Unite Summit in Denver Colorado recently. Poizner became the first unaffiliated candidate for statewide office to make it to the general election ballot in several years. It's a startling statistic, to which he reacts with a

In the latest episode of "In Full Color," I talk with Independent Voting President Jackie Salit, who has spent several years advancing election reform policies and working outside the two major parties to effect change for a better democratic process. Jackie and Shawn discuss the historic growth in independent activism following the 2016 elections, where Salit says a voter rebellion began with the popularity of candidates like Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders. Now, Jackie says the independent m