Campaigns

Campaigns cover the initiatives, races, and ballot questions where independent-minded voters could decide the outcome. IVN.us reports on contests at every level, from local measures to statewide elections, with nonpartisan coverage and information so independent-minded voters can make informed choices.

Deadlines Loom as Independent Candidates Hit the Two-Party Wall

Independent candidates are making waves across the US, but they are also starting to hit the toughest barriers erected by the two-party machinery.

Matt Shinners

/ May 26, 2026

Deadlines Loom as Independent Candidates Hit the Two-Party Wall

California's Most Powerful Voting Bloc Is the One Staying Home

Independent and Latino voters can decide the June 2 primary. Most won't show up. A statewide nonpartisan campaign is racing to change that before ballots are due.

Independent Voter Project

/ May 22, 2026

California's Most Powerful Voting Bloc Is the One Staying Home

When Do Vote Centers Open in California?

What California voters need to know about vote center dates, hours, and locations for the June 2 primary

Shawn Griffiths

/ May 22, 2026

When Do Vote Centers Open in California?

Independent Mike Duggan Didn’t Lose to Michigan Voters. He Lost to the Two-Party Machine.

Duggan’s story is not a new one. Independent candidates across the country have run into the same wall, with many never even making it to Election Day.

Matt Shinners

/ May 22, 2026

Independent Mike Duggan Didn’t Lose to Michigan Voters. He Lost to the Two-Party Machine.

CA Gov Campaign Without the Smears … or the Commentary

We combed the internet to present, in one place, each California Gubernatorial candidate’s “best case,” absent all the attacks and without any editorial comment from us.

IVN Editorial Board

/ May 21, 2026

California governor candidates at the News Nation debate.

RCV Poll: Harris vs Newsom Is the Wrong Question. Voters Want Backup Choices in 2028

The 2028 Democratic presidential primary is still years away, but the early polling is already revealing a familiar problem: A crowded field can make voter preferences look flatter, narrower, and more divided than they actually are.

Shawn Griffiths

/ May 20, 2026

Kamala Harris (left) and Gavin Newsom (right).

No, You Don’t Need to Register with a Party to Vote in California’s Primary

When Independent Voter posted a series of videos about primary turnout on its Facebook page, the comments revealed a startling reality: Many voters think California’s semi-closed presidential primary rules apply to the 2026 midterm elections.

Shawn Griffiths

/ May 19, 2026

Every registered California voter can participate in the June 2 Top Two primary election

A Top-Two Democrat Race for Governor? In California, That May Be What a Healthy Democracy Actually Looks Like

The state’s nonpartisan Top-Two primary was never designed to produce a Democrat vs. Republican Race or to prevent two Democrats or two Republicans from being in the final contest.

Steve Peace and Dan Howle

/ May 19, 2026

A potential two-Democrat California governor's race has some people concerned, but what if this is what voters want?

Independent Power Watch: Candidates Rise as Voters Sour on Both Parties

Independent candidates surge in several states, while 30% of independent voters are so unhappy with their choices that they plan to sit out the midterm election entirely.

Matt Shinners

/ May 18, 2026

Independent Power Watch: Candidates Rise as Voters Sour on Both Parties

'Brazen and Unlawful': California GOP Tells Republican Carl DeMaio to Stop Deceiving Primary Voters

While California voters are making their decisions ahead of the June 2 primary election, the state Republican Party has sent a cease-and-desist letter to Assemblymember Carl DeMaio, one of its own, over mailers the party says is a “calculated deception."

Shawn Griffiths

/ May 17, 2026

The California Republican Party is accusing Assemblymember Carl DeMaio of intentionally deceiving primary voters with mailers and website.

Latinos Will Be the Most Powerful Voting Bloc, Once They Start Voting in Primaries

California’s nonpartisan primary system is built around a simple promise: Every voter gets a say. But, not every voter takes advantage of this. There is a noticeable turnout gap with Latino voters, in particular, who could completely reshape the electoral landscape if they participate.

Shawn Griffiths

/ May 15, 2026

A large crowd of diverse protesters rally in downtown Los Angeles.

Nebraska's Senate Race Is a Mess – And We Have Our Voting System To Thank

How first-past-the-post voting turned a primary election into accusations of planted candidates, strategic surrenders, and a Democrat who ran to withdraw.

Matt Shinners

/ May 14, 2026

Dan Osborn is running as an independent in the 2026 Nebraska Senate race.