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Supporters of a 2018 ballot initiative to legalize psychedelic mushrooms in California were given the green light by the state attorney general's office earlier this month to circulate petitions and gather signatures. They now have until April 30 to gather and submit 365,880 valid signatures from registered voters in the first state to ever legalize medical marijuana under Proposition 215 in 1996. That ballot proposition, as well as Prop. 64 -- the 2016 voter initiative titled "The Adult Use o

Sexual assault is sexual assault regardless of your political views. It’s a simple truth, but sadly it seems to be lost on the United States Congress. Only days after Speaker of the House Paul Ryan decreed that all House members and staff would undergo mandatory sexual harassment training in response to the rash of unsavory allegations surfacing against members of Congress, our representatives have turned this issue into a political football. It’s the perfect example of how Congress is failing

There are some Alabama voters who are considering writing in a candidate in the upcoming special Senate election. These voters are concerned about multiple allegations that GOP candidate Roy Moore sexually harassed and abused minors when he was a local district attorney. But there is something voters should know about how write-in campaigns work in Alabama. Write-in campaigns are already a long shot, but voters could be dissuaded even more when they are faced with the reality that their vote ma

I often get asked questions such as, “why isn’t the GOP standing up  to Trump? Congress obviously hates him.” Sometimes the questions are worded with less curiosity, but that is the ultimate question behind what people are saying. While it’s not always clear just how each member of Congress feels, it appears to be the case that there is greater intra-party antagonism between the GOP Congress and the presidency than in a very long time. If this is the case, why does it all seem to be swept unde

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlpmQJvHv10 Senator John McCain said on on CBS's "60 Minutes" Sunday that his brain cancer prognosis is "very, very serious." The Arizona Republican added that his doctors told him "it's a very poor prognosis," with a survival rate as low as 3 percent, or 14 percent in a best case scenario, according to some doctors. Should McCain retire from the U.S. Senate soon, which is looking increasingly likely in light of his recent comments, the process in Arizona is for

Alabama's closed, partisan Republican primary pits two candidates, Roy Moore and Luther Strange, that prove the value of open, nonpartisan primaries. Put simply, the "I'm a bigger right-winger than you are" themed campaign is exactly what works in closed, partisan primaries. This, of course, is also true of the "I'm a bigger left-winger than you are" campaign that flourishes in closed Democratic primaries. The overwhelming majority of US lawmakers were selected through these closed, partisan p

Political advisor and author Mark McKinnon says that “A messy participatory process is representative democracy at its best.” We understand what he’s getting at. The contest of ideas and the formation of interest groups is an important part of our political process. But there’s a difference between messy and rigged. Nearly half of all Americans identify as independents, unwilling to endorse either the Democratic or Republican political parties. Yet, even in an election like 2016’s presidentia

Editor’s note: This article, written by Rob Richie, originally published on FairVote’s blog on August 16, 2017, and has been modified slightly for publication on IVN. Next spring, states will start voting in primaries for the regularly scheduled congressional midterm elections in every state. On August 15, however, two states held primaries to fill vacancies -- for U.S. Senate in Alabama as the permanent replacement to Attorney General Jeff Sessions and for U.S House in Utah to fill Jason Chaff

RANKED CHOICE VOTING GETS SHOT IN THE ARM In a story that was first published on FairVote's blog, Rob Richie looks at the latest Primaries and how to Uphold Majority Rule. Richie writes, "Next spring, states will start voting in primaries for the regularly scheduled congressional midterm elections in every state. On August 15, however, two states held primaries to fill vacancies -- for U.S. Senate in Alabama as the permanent replacement to Attorney General Jeff Sessions and for U.S House in Ut

Alabama Election Results It's going to be about another month before we know who will represent the GOP in the Alabama Senate race to go head-to-head with Democrat Doug Jones. The race is for Attorney General Jeff Sessions' former US Senate seat. Two Republicans advanced to a runoff on September 26. Roy Moore, a former state Supreme Court Justice and Senator Luther Strange, who is serving as Sessions' replacement, will square off. Moore received 39.8% of the vote compared with Strange, who r