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To have their voices heard and enact change, citizens are urged to use their vote. But how can America's population be truly represented when, in some states, it is nearly impossible for independent or minor party candidates to even appear on voters' ballots? What good is a "fair" vote when viable candidates are undermined by strict ballot access laws that favor the two major parties? Clearly, election reform at state and federal levels is desperately needed. Here are 8 of America's worst ballo

San Diego, CA. - There is no debating the value of the San Diego Junior Lifeguard program. Now in its third decade, the program gives kids ages 7 to 17 the opportunity to learn a litany of useful skills including: first aid and CPR, surfing, snorkeling, kayaking, water rescue techniques, the importance of physical fitness and techniques to improve their swimming skills. In short, it's a great program, and the community knows it. Now, with help from the City of San Diego, the Junior Lifeguard F

A thrilling victory by a young insurgent candidate, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, against a 20-year incumbent and party boss, US Rep. Joseph Crowley, in the June 26 New York primary seems to be reverberating over state and national politics. Pundits are posing the question of whether a national anti-establishment wave within Democratic Party politics is in the making. Many activists -- myself among them -- hope so, but don't shout too soon. Remember how in 2004 a young upstart, newly-elected senat

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 the op-ed,"The Voting Shell Game," which appeared in The Star Ledger and The Times of Trenton in February, Yael Niv highlights how a handful of unelected power brokers run our state, through alliances that benefit them, and not necessarily voters. This should be of particular concern to unaffiliated NJ voters because it’s these same power brokers from both major political parties that keep New Jersey from being an open primary state, which allows unaffiliated voters to vote in partisan primar

Contrary to popular belief, the United States Supreme Court did not legalize sports betting in Murphy v. National Collegiate Athletic Association. It merely ruled that the decision of whether to authorize sports betting resides with the states. However, it changed the betting line on a variety of issues including the decriminalization of cannabis as well as the validity of sanctuary states and cities. At its core, the majority in Murphy v. National Collegiate Athletic Association simply resurr

Welcome to our weekly post, Independent Action, where we let you know the important moves independent candidates and organizations made over the past week. Nathan Altman, a 30-year old “scrappy entrepreneur who’s built a career on being a maker and builder of things,” has entered the race for U.S. Senate for Indiana. He’s been featured quite a bit this past week through organizations and publications such as Unite America and the Indianapolis Business Journal. During his interview with the Ind

Welcome to our weekly post, Independent Action, where we let you know the important moves Independent candidates and organizations made over the past week. Governor Bill Walker of Alaska passed HB339, a bill “that gives parents and teachers certainty that Alaska schools will be funded every year.” You can find his full statement on the passing of the bill below. https://twitter.com/AkGovBillWalker/status/985316287243931648 Craig O’Dear, an Independent candidate for U.S. Senate in Missouri, re

With all the hubub this week at our nation's capitol over the impact Facebook may have had on the 2008, 2012 and 2016 elections, California lawmakers have issued an internet/social media bill, SB-1424. Written by State Senator Dr. Richard Pan, the bill aims to control news websites and the content those websites produce and distribute. It would impact only those companies who operate a social media website and who have a physical address or presence in California. Last week the bill was sent t

As we get older, and hopefully wiser, we generally start to become more discerning on how we view the world and the problems we face. Many of us who seek to make the world a better place try to look at the problems, analyze them, and do what we can to correct them. However, because there are so many different problems facing us, this approach often overwhelms us and can instill a sense of hopelessness in our ability to create positive change. Looking deeper into this situation, we discover tha