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Are Independent Voters Truly Independent, or Are They a Myth? Take the Survey For good reason, there is a lot of attention on Maine right now. I got to spend some time in Maine last week on the day the people made history with a big victory in protecting the state's ranked choice voting law. Voters also used ranked choice voting for the first time in statewide primary elections. I think the hidden news of the week, though, is that independent voters distinctly count – and they’re not just clos

Throughout slavery, Reconstruction and the movement for civil rights, African Americans in the U.S. have faced racism, social disparities, and oppression. While things have advanced for us significantly, black Americans still encounter subtle and blatant social disenfranchisement.For instance, the United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world and the people behind bars in the U.S. are disproportionately black. Chronic diseases like diabetes, arthritis, HIV, and cancer are more pr

Former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger wrote a joint op-ed with US Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) looking at the political parties' hatred of the nonpartisan, top-two open primary in California -- hatred that was on display leading up to the June 5 primary elections. Schwarzenegger and Khanna say party bosses hate the system so much because it takes control of election out of their hands, and puts it in the hands of voters: "We’re from different parties, we don’t agree on every issue, and we don’

AUGUSTA, ME -- Several ballots are still being counted for Maine's June 12 primary election, but what is clear is Question 1 to protect ranked choice voting won a decisive victory, despite the political establishment's efforts to kill the reform The historic significance of this win cannot be understated and is much broader than many realize: * It's clear independent voters are the driving force behind voter-centric election reform. * Maine voters led the ranked choice voting reform, despite

National Election Reform Groups, the Independent Voter Project and FairVote, are advocating for a primary that advances the “top-four” candidates instead of just two. The groups believe doubling the choices by advancing four candidates out of the primary, allowing write-in candidates, and enacting ranked choice voting to give voters more power, avoids vote-splitting, and ensures majority rule, is the best-case scenario for voters and voters rights. In addition to this effort, the National Asso

The Obama Era Net Neutrality regulations have officially been repealed this week by the Federal Communications Commission. The changes took effect Monday, much to the chagrin of many Internet content companies, their stakeholders, fans, and supporters. Opponents of the net neutrality rollback say it could cost consumers and content creators (like Netflix and Hulu) more to use the Internet, while benefiting Internet Service Providers like Comcast and AT&T by allowing them to charge a premium for

The biggest primary day of 2018 has come and gone. The November ballot is now set in California and 7 other states. As I looked at the coverage from the week, I noticed an article from Slate writer Jamelle Bouie that makes the case that because the nonpartisan, top-two primary in California doesn't serve the interests of parties, it is undemocratic. Seriously? Partisan Nonsense of the Week: Slate’s Jamelle Bouie Says Parties are Building Blocks of Democracy Here's Slate's headline: Just co

In a political world dominated by voices from the Republican and Democratic parties, the Robert J. Dole Institute at the University of Kansas stepped outside of the partisan narrative with its Spring Semester discussion group focusing on the “Rise of the Independents.” By self-identification, independent voters currently make up 45 percent of the electorate. Yet, the two parties dominate the media narrative, our elections, our legislatures, and even our courtrooms. But change could be on the w

This month, I invited Frank Fear to review the book, Independents Rising: Outside Movements, Third Parties, and the Struggle for a Post-Partisan America. Jacqueline Salit, the president of Independent Voting and author of the popular IVN column "The Neo-Independent" wrote the book in 2012. After the Politics for the People Book Club read Greg Orman’s book, A Declaration of Independents: How We Can Break the Two-Party Stranglehold and Restore the American Dream, I was struck by how the two books

Maine independent US Senator Angus King recently broke his silence on Question 1, the ballot measure that protects ranked choice voting in Maine. He says he is voting for it, adding that state politicians should respect the will of the people “A high number of voters said this is something they want," King says, "and I don’t like the idea that we essentially voided what the voters said.” King also says he likes the fundamental components of ranked choice voting. It offers an instant runoff: "A