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With a new year comes a new legislative session in state houses around the U.S. 2016 has seen state legislators nationwide use this opportunity to empower voters by introducing bills that create new uses of ranked choice voting (RCV) at the state and local levels. Just one month into this year’s session, at least 27 pro-RCV bills have been introduced in 13 states and the District of Columbia. The proposed measures advance RCV in a variety of ways. Bills in Georgia, Massachusetts, and Vermont, f

Undoubtedly, there has been a growing movement in America for the past several decades -- that those successful in business should take the helm as our nation's leaders. H. Ross Perot made the first modern nationwide appeal for this in 1992, claiming that only someone with business prowess could solve our nation's economic problems. Was he, and others like him, right? Donald Trump (R), while at times contradictory, usually has a standard mantra that we should make a profit from our activities

Are the Democratic and Republican political establishments in trouble? That question seems to be the topic of many headlines since the presidential campaigns of Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump took off. But while support for Sanders can be easily explained -- and not a huge threat to the Democratic establishment -- the Republican Party is going to require some serious soul-searching as they seek to realign themselves with the American populous, should Trump be nominated. Sanders’ popularity can

Since 2013, Kansas has required proof of citizenship to vote in elections. But there’s a small problem with that. While the Kansas voter registration form requires proof of citizenship, the federal voter registration form (available at eac.gov) does not. Kansas has requested that the Election Assistance Commission amend the state-specific instruction to the federal forms to include proof of citizenship, but the Commission has not acted on this request. To combat this, Secretary of State Kris K

Trump Calls Virginia Loyalty Oath A “Suicidal Mistake” Source: Fred Lucas, The Blaze My Take: Of interest particularly if you’ve followed this story. The whole thing seems a bit blown out of proportion as I don’t see this being an oath, as has been charged, but an affirmation of party affiliation. An informative list of how other states do pretty much the same thing -- though differently. 5 Years Later, The Atlantic Reviews California Top-Two Primary Source: Christopher Caen, The Atlantic

The spirit of America is strong; the state of our union is fragile. That is my conclusion after 100 days driving 14,128 miles through 34 states as an independent candidate for President of the United States. I met with over 1,000 people individually and in small groups. I mostly stayed away from big cities and college campuses. I had learned on two short campaign trips before this long one that very few Americans understand there are independent candidates running for office so I got in the ha

How Independent Voters in Florida Are Reshaping Political Landscape Source: Steve Bousquet, Miami Herald My Take: A well-written look at today’s Florida voters, why they are registering independent--particularly first-time voters, and how issues vs. politics affects this pattern. Party Bosses Fill Vacant Seats in NY Legislature, Not Voters Source:  Karen Rouse/WNYC (New York) My Take: If you’re a democracy-type person, this will make you squirm a bit. Vacancies due to political corruption,

Voters in South Dakota may have an opportunity to change the way elections are conducted in their state. TakeItBack.org submitted over 40,000 signatures to South Dakota's secretary of state Monday in favor of a ballot initiative that would implement nonpartisan, top-two primaries in the state similar to the election model used for state legislative races in Nebraska. There are three states with some form of nonpartisan, top-two system. California and Washington state use a similar system for al

For nearly two hundred years, voting has predominantly been tied to fixed residency: citizens are entitled to vote in the districts in which they live. While seemingly a fair and direct application of the principle, "one person, one vote," property owners are beginning to assert that their ownership of property in voting districts outside the one in which they live justifies extending them the right to vote in these districts as well. So, does the right to vote – and should the right to vote –

When it comes to strengthening election laws to eliminate voter fraud, Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach (R) has captured headlines for years. He has helped several states, including Arizona, develop their own voting laws--and recently pushed the Kansas legislature to give him prosecutorial powers over election fraud cases.While critics claim this is a duplication of powers, with local prosecutors having the same duties and responsibilities, Kobach claimed at the signing ceremony in June th