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California's existing election system for Congress and state office could be improved with the following ideas. The problem with the status quo is that ever since it went into effect in 2011, there has been very limited choice on the November ballot. So far, no independent or minor party candidate has appeared on the November ballot for statewide office. Each statewide office in November has been between one Democrat and one Republican, with no write-in space. In November 2014, California vote

One of the more anticipated campaigns for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination has seemingly dropped from the national conversation and is struggling to raise money. Called "The Most Interesting Man in the Senate" by Reason magazine, Rand Paul has built his Senate career on filibustering extrajudicial assassinations and opposing the security state.In the last year, Paul consistently polled close to presumptive leader Jeb Bush. However, as the field has widened, the Rand Paul campaign ha

Florida's Supreme Court struck down much of the state's congressional districting map on July 9, ordering the redrawing of what it termed "constitutionally invalid" districts in 2 of the 27 districts (requiring a change to 8 congressional districts). Each district represents about 710,000 voters, making this one of the most significant court cases ever involving the practice of gerrymandering. In 2010, Florida's voters overwhelmingly approved (62.9%) a constitutional amendment with some of the

He won't likely get much attention from the mainstream media, but one-term U.S. senator and former Navy secretary Jim Webb launched his presidential campaign on Thursday. Webb made the announcement on his campaign website and brings the total number of Democratic presidential candidates to five. USA Today reports: "After many months of thought, deliberation and discussion, I have decided to seek the office of the Presidency of the United States," he wrote. In his statement, Webb acknowledged t

On Monday, the Supreme Court of the United States upheld the constitutionality of independent redistricting commissions to redraw electoral districts. The ruling was a major victory for voters, because it also validated the citizen initiative process and the voter's right to decide how they are governed. But the legal battle over redistricting is far from over. Politico reported Tuesday that major litigation remains in key battleground states ahead of the 2016 elections. Continued redistrictin

Since the movement launched in 2006, National Popular Vote has made significant progress to reform the way Americans elect their president. The group's plan involves a state-by-state approach. States that join the National Popular Voter Interstate Compact (NPVIC) agree that rather than having their electors cast their ballots for president according to whichever candidate won the most votes in their respective states, the electors will instead vote for the candidate who won the most votes natio

On Friday, June 12, Tyler Harber was sentenced to serve two years in prison, making him the first person to be convicted and jailed for unlawfully coordinating activities between a super PAC and a federal campaign. The sentencing serves as a caveat to congressional and presidential campaigns and their allied groups about the need to ensure compliance with federal campaign election laws in the run-up to the 2016 election. In 2012, Harber assisted Republican candidate Chris Perkins in his contes

U.S. Representative Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) is trying to set the record straight about Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) -- the so called "fast-track" for authorizing the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). In an email sent out on Thursday, Goodlatte fact checks the most common misconceptions about TPA and the TPP. While some lawmakers want voters to believe that TPA would lead to all sorts of outcomes -- including forfeiting our national sovereignty, more illegal immigration, and creating a "Pacific

Kentucky U.S. Senator Rand Paul announced on his Facebook page and Twitter account that he has taken the Senate floor to begin his filibuster of renewing the PATRIOT Act, specifically provisions in Section 215 that are set to expire at the end of the month. Check out the live footage of Paul's filibuster here. https://twitter.com/RandPaul/status/601079082676318208 1:15 pm ET - Rand Paul takes the floor by saying, "There comes a time in the history of nations when fear and complacency allow pow

The 2016 election is already in full swing with eight candidates having officially declared their candidacy (two for the Democratic nomination, six for the Republican nomination). Polling of these candidates among potential constituencies has already begun as well, to wildly different projections. With 18 months still to go, a lot is sure to change. However, one factor is sure to influence the election, and that is the changing demographics in the American electorate. Much has been made of the