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Partisan Advocate Fears Calif. Court May Side with Voters
Partisan Advocate Fears Calif. Court May Side with Voters
On Thursday, January 15, oral arguments were made before the California State Appeals Court in San Francisco in the case Rubin v. Bowen. Third parties continue to challenge the nonpartisan, top-two open primary in the state, claiming that the system violates the association rights of political parties and disenfranchises third-party voters in the general election. Richard Winger, who runs the site Ballot-Access.org, wrote a post on the oral arguments, implying that third parties were poorly re
16 Jan, 2015
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4 min read
Montana Republican Party Wants More Polarization in Legislature, Not Less
Montana Republican Party Wants More Polarization in Legislature, Not Less
On Saturday, the Montana Republican Party's State Central Committee voted overwhelmingly to join a lawsuit that seeks to close the state's primary elections. Many Republicans expressed concern that nonmembers were infiltrating the party and influencing elections. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court, challenges the constitutionality of open primaries in the state. Under the current system, voters are able to choose which party ballot they want to vote on when they participate in primary e
12 Jan, 2015
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3 min read
Can Congress Grant Us A ‘Pardon’ from the State of the Union?
Can Congress Grant Us A ‘Pardon’ from the State of the Union?
RANCHO SANTA FE, Calif. -- As those of you who are familiar with my work already know, I examine our government from an unusual perspective; one that assumes that it must follow the Constitution. Accordingly, I respect proposed solutions that adhere to that premise while forcing us into the uncomfortable realm of hosting “a civil assessment” of their merit. In that regard, I offer the suggestion of Scot Faulkner to bypass this year’s State of the Union Address. For purposes of full disclosure,
08 Jan, 2015
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7 min read
Meet The Most Independent Politicians of 2014
Meet The Most Independent Politicians of 2014
This year did not give voters much in terms of transcending partisanship at the Congressional level. However, breakthroughs of candidates and politicians who have publicly challenged the fiction that politics is a choice between Republican or Democratic ideas should not go unnoticed. Included in this list are politicians whose actions cannot be defined as simply left or right. Instead they represent a diverse set of principles and ideas that span the political spectrum. Here are the most indep
26 Dec, 2014
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4 min read
10 Most Popular IVN Articles from 2014
10 Most Popular IVN Articles from 2014
IVN is built on the idea that anyone who is willing to participate in the news, under the simple etiquette, should be able to speak for themselves. As a result, IVN's content reaches millions of readers every month, over 100,000 readers follow our news on Facebook, and IVN continues to be the fastest-growing news source for independent-minded voters. To date, over 8,700 articles have been published since the first iteration launched in 2008. Since few readers will have the time to look through a
25 Dec, 2014
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5 min read
Lawsuit Says N.J. Secretary of State Using Taxes for Private Benefit
Lawsuit Says N.J. Secretary of State Using Taxes for Private Benefit
Appellants in the lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the New Jersey primary structure filed a reply to the secretary of state’s opposition brief with the U.S. Third Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday. The EndPartisanship.org coalition reasserts its argument that because primary elections are an integral stage of the public election process, the state has an obligation to protect every voter’s fundamental right to equal and meaningful participation. Since March, when the EndPartisan
17 Dec, 2014
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4 min read
Looking to the Founders: Is Common Core Common Sense?
Looking to the Founders: Is Common Core Common Sense?
When looking to the Founders on the topic of education, probably the finest example to turn to is Noah Webster. Often called the "Father of American Scholarship and Education," his primers were used for more than five generations. teaching children to read and write while secularizing their education. Common Core education is a modern political hotbed, mostly along the red/blue divide. It's a revolutionary way of teaching students and is an attempt to standardize learning throughout the United
10 Dec, 2014
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5 min read
Another Brief Opposing Constitutionality of N.J. Primary Filed
Another Brief Opposing Constitutionality of N.J. Primary Filed
On Monday, the Equal Vote Coalition (EVC) filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Third Circuit of Appeals in the case, Balsam v. Guadango (the lawsuit filed by the EndPartisanship.org coalition), supporting the argument that the closed partisan primary in New Jersey does not protect the fundamental right all voters have to an equal and meaningful vote. The Equal Vote Coalition was founded by Mark Frohnmayer, an entrepreneur and technologists from Oregon, who was the chief petitioner of 2014 Orego
09 Dec, 2014
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4 min read
Legislatures v. The People: SCOTUS to Rule on Who Has Ultimate Power over Elections
Legislatures v. The People: SCOTUS to Rule on Who Has Ultimate Power over Elections
Although the midterm election fever has largely subsided, the courts are heating up over the issue of redistricting and gerrymandering lawsuits. For the 2014 term, the U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear three cases on redistricting commissions, and the Florida Supreme Court has also heard its own case over redistricting. Elections are contentious contests and at the heart of these arguments is who has the power to draw district lines that influence the outcomes on Election Day. All of these case
08 Dec, 2014
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4 min read
N.J. Secretary of State: Constitution Does Not Protect the Right to Vote
N.J. Secretary of State: Constitution Does Not Protect the Right to Vote
On Tuesday, December 3, New Jersey Attorney General John Hoffman filed an opposition brief with the U.S. Third Circuit Court of Appeals, challenging the EndPartisanship.org coalition's appeal. While the coalition argues that an equal and meaningful vote in all integral stages of the election process is a fundamental right, the state continues to argue that only Republicans and Democrats enjoy this right, even though this integral stage of the election is funded, administered, and sanctioned by
04 Dec, 2014
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3 min read