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It’s well understood that America is intensely divided today and that our divisions have worsened over time. But when did politics turn into an “us-vs-them” war?

Ranked choice voting (RCV) continues to build on its national momentum. It was not only adopted in new cities on Election Day 2023, but it was protected by voters in other places and used in 11 cities across 6 states. RCV gives voters the option to rank candidates on the ballot in order of preference (1st choice, 2nd choice, 3rd choice, etc.) The first-choice selections are tallied. If no candidate has a majority, an automatic runoff is conducted that eliminates the last place candidate and app

Maine citizens will vote on a ballot measure this November that, if passed, would prevent foreign governments and foreign government-owned entities from spending millions of dollars to influence state elections each election cycle. Maine Question 2 extends existing federal law prohibiting foreign electioneering in state elections and adds prohibitions to ballot measures, meaning no direct or indirect election spending from foreign governments or entities in which a foreign government has at lea

We received your announcement that you will be stepping down as moderator of NBC’s “Meet The Press” with mixed reaction. Of course, we are happy that you are on to your next chapter and wish you all the best.

Editor's Note: This op-ed originally published on The Fulcrum. It was written by Henry Murray, a student at Tufts University from Lawrenceville, New Jersey. He is entering his junior year and studying international relations. The piece was republished on IVN with permission from the publisher. As a college student who, like many of my classmates, is frustrated with politics in America, I’d like to reimagine our congressional elections. Our country’s two major political parties have become incre

Voters have expressed their desire to see systemic reform to how we elect our public officials. When asked what specific reforms they want in a recent poll, many said they would like to see a proportional representation system -- which would mean a complete election overhaul. What would proportional representation mean? Proportional representation is exactly how it sounds. An electoral district is not represented by a single seat, but multiple seats that are proportionally allocated among can

Editor's Note: The following is part of the discussion on centrism and appealing to independent voters, and features perspectives from Democratic Michigan State Representative Laurie Pohutsky and Republican Political Consultant Alex Hays. The commentary originally published on Divided We Fall. Democrats’ Efforts to Deliver for Independents Will Pay Off in November By Laurie Pohutsky – Democratic Michigan State Representative For roughly the last year and a half, many people have asserted tha

It doesn’t seem like there is much these days that can unite Republicans and Democrats. However, one thing both parties have consistently agreed on is that nothing should threaten their grip on power. The current electoral process is designed to serve the interests of the dominant two parties and their members. If there is a reform that threatens to upset the apple cart, it will encounter resistance from those who have the most to lose from a fairer, more equitable process. This will include l

It is only May and already 2021 has been a monumental year for ranked choice voting. Not only is RCV being used for the first time in New York City, but 23 Utah cities have passed ordinances to use it in upcoming elections. FairVote, the nation’s preeminent advocate for ranked choice voting, reports that the addition of 23 Utah cities more than doubles the number of upcoming mayoral races that will use RCV, and includes Salt Lake City and its population of 200,000 residents. The cities voted s

‍ There are a number of nonpartisan reforms being proposed to address the myriad of deep systemic problems that ensure US elections primarily serve the private, gain-seeking interests of the Republican and Democratic Parties, instead of voters. There is no cure-all, no silver bullet. Change is going to require a comprehensive approach. However, one solution that easily has the most momentum behind it across the country is ranked choice voting. Ranked choice voting, or the ability to rank ca