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Andrew Gumbel is grumbling over the potential consequences of the 2018 nonpartisan California primary election. He claims the nonpartisan primary is not working as intended. Perhaps he should have gotten in touch with the authors of Proposition 14 to see if it has met the goals they had in mind. There were three: * First, every voter should have an equal opportunity to vote for the candidates of their choice, regardless of the voter’s political preferences; * Second, elections should be more

US District Court Judge Jon D. Levy threw out the Maine Republican Party's legal complaint against ranked choice voting Tuesday. It's yet another legal challenge the election reform has survived in the rocky road to the June primary elections. Judge Levy said the Maine GOP's claim that the ranked choice voting law violated its associational rights doesn't hold water against the state's constitutional authority to sponsor and regulate elections. "Pursuant to their interest in ensuring fair elec

Rep. Jeff Denham (R-CA) is passionate enough about immigration reform that he is leading an effort to buck House Republican leadership to get it done. And if he does, it could open up a lane for more compromise on healthcare reform efforts. Immigration Reform by Rebellion Normally, the Majority Leader in the House of Representatives decides which of the thousands of bills introduced are given a vote on the House floor. It is a powerful position, but also a tough job. For perspective, in the 1

By vetoing the appointment of 81-year-old Paolo Savona over the weekend, establishment Italian President Sergio Mattarella all but nullified the vote of the Italian people last March and removed the possibility, at least for now, that the Five Star movement and ultranationalist League "Lega" would form Italy's new coalition government. The move has had a big impact on world stock markets as it pertains to Italy possibly leaving the Euro. The NYSE is substantially down in trading. Mattarella wa

It’s been a while! However, no matter how little we’ve written about independent candidates and organizations over the past month, actions continue to be taken by those who look to change the two-party system. Let’s start with Unite America and the candidates that fall under their umbrella. Neal Simon, running for U.S. Senate in Maryland, had a fantastic month while opening his new campaign office. https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.170783426893078.1073741830.126383201333101&type=1&l=15

That should be the title of a recent Fast Company article entitled, "How the DNC Is Trying To Prevent A Repeat Of 2016’s Hack." "The committee, along with organizations on both sides of the aisle, is focusing on the basics of cybersecurity as they prepare for the midterms and 2020," the article is subtitled. Are they focusing on the basics of integrity, fairness, and neutrality in facilitating their party's nomination processes as well? Or just not getting caught again? Let's read on to find

Peter Smith is an independent candidate running in Colorado State Senate District 32. He is the youngest candidate running for state office and would be the youngest member of the state legislature if elected in November. Peter is a Millennial -- a label most candidates his age would treat as an albatross around their necks. Not Peter. He embraces the label "Millennial" as much as his "independent" political identification. Millennials, from his perspective, are leading the independent revolut

Last week, President Trump shocked some by taking the safe road and nominating the acting VA Secretary Robert Wilkie to fill the role permanently. The president is not known for taking safe or predictable actions. However, in the wake of the scandal with Dr. Ronny Jackson, and the very public and unpleasant firing of Dr. David Shulkin in March, he almost had to in order to ensure confirmation. Wilkie’s nomination is not without hiccups, but should go relatively smoothly. Not long after Wilkie

The latest Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) poll shows very clearly that none of the campaign pros spending millions in campaigns for Republican and Democratic candidates for Governor understand independent voters or see any value in learning about them. Some of this indifference is rooted in the partisan theory that “independents don’t vote in the primary.” That is simply not the case and how can a campaign dismiss No Party Preference (NPP) voters who represent 25% of voters in Cal

There is so much history being made in the independent and reform movements in 2018 that it is almost impossible to keep up with it all. Unite New Mexico, a partner of Unite America, announced Thursday its first two endorsements for independent candidates running for the New Mexico Legislature in 2018. Lamy businessman and nonprofit executive Jarratt Applewhite (HD-50) and former state representative Tweeti Blancett (Hd-40) are the first candidates added to an independent slate that has never