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The most critical movement right now in the US is to give voters an election system that is accountable, competitive, and free of corruption. Hundreds of organizations across the country are working toward meeting this goal, and many of the movement’s leaders met in December to celebrate victories and discuss next steps. The National Association of Nonpartisan Reformers (NANR) hosted its annual summit in San Diego, California. It was the first time since before the COVID-19 pandemic that member

Editor's Note: This article, written by David Levins, originally published on The Fulcrum and has been re-published on IVN with permission from the publisher. Levine is an elections integrity fellow at the Alliance for Securing Democracy, which develops strategies to deter and defend against autocratic efforts to interfere in democratic institutions. Should members of Congress be able to object to election results as part of a strategy to draw greater attention to election reform efforts, as tw

While there’s lots of talk about “red waves” and “blue waves,” what really deserves the headlines is the “reform wave” that’s sweeping the country. From coast to coast, election reform was on the ballot, and voters overwhelmingly supported it. Votes are still being counted in a number of states, but a few wins we already know: Ranked Choice Voting was adopted by voters in Seattle, WA; Ojai, CA; Fort Collins, CO; Evanston, IL; Portland, ME; Portland, OR, and Multnomah County, Oregon. Money in

Editor's Note: This article originally published on The Fulcrum and has been republished on IVN with permission from the publisher. Four years ago, when the nation headed to the polls in the middle of Donald Trump’s divisive term as president, half of eligible voters cast a ballot. Last week, preliminary data shows overall turnout was down a few percentage points. But some states saw an increase in voter participation. According to preliminary data collected by the U.S. Election Project, three

The momentum behind ranked choice voting continues to grow across the US and has spread to new states after several jurisdictions adopted its use in the 2022 elections. RCV is the fastest growing nonpartisan electoral reform. It has been adopted and used in two states (Alaska and Maine), as well as over 50 cities and counties. In the 2022 election, it was used in 12 jurisdictions representing 4 million people. As the midterm election results roll in, RCV campaigns have already declared victory

The date has been set for oral argument in Moore v. Harper, a Supreme Court (SCOTUS) case that could have lasting implications on how state legislative action on federal elections can be challenged. SCOTUS is slated to hear oral argument on December 7. Moore v. Harper centers around the congressional district map drawn by the then Republican-controlled North Carolina Legislature in the wake of the 2020 decennial census. The new map, which the legislature adopted on November 4, 2021, was challen

Another Election Day is quickly approaching in the US, and many voters have an opportunity to add their voices to the growing repudiation of an election system that has failed to represent and provide for the country’s citizenry. Since 2016, the number of ballot initiatives to reform US elections has grown exponentially. 2018 was the biggest year in half a century for voting improvements. 2020 and 2021 built on the momentum with fairer voting proposals, independent redistricting, and initiative

US primaries can be summed up in two words: Minority rule. A new report from FairVote found that 120 major party candidates in statewide and congressional primary elections won with less than 50% of the vote in 2022. Forty-three of the candidates won with less than 35% of the vote. The stats are made more abysmal by the reality that most elections are decided in these low-turnout, taxpayer-funded primaries -- which means elections are being decided by the most partisan of voters. “Instead of

Bill Shireman, founder of In This Together, joins host T.J. O’Hara on Deconstructed to discuss the divisive political environment within which we find ourselves... and what can be done about it. Mr. Shireman is an author, social entrepreneur, environmental policy innovator, and serial political activist. He is the President and Founder of Future 500, a non-profit that strives to build trust between companies, advocates, investors, and philanthropists to advance business for the common good... as

Early voting in California is quickly approaching for the 2022 election cycle. In most elections, voters will choose among candidates from two different parties -- but in several districts -- the “top-two” nonpartisan primary has led to head-to-head races between two Democrats. Importantly, most of these races are in heavily Democratic districts where, under a traditional primary system, the race would all but be decided already. Instead, progressive and more moderate Democrats are battling for