Commentary - Independent Voter News

An Open Letter to My Fellow Secretary of State Candidates: Where Is Our Debate About Democracy?

With our country’s democracy in severe crisis, incredibly, there are no secretary of state candidate forums nor debates scheduled between us.

By

Michael Feinstein

/ May 29, 2026

Image of ballots going into a box, representing democracy and the debate over election reform.

The DNC Wrote a 2024 Autopsy — and Ignored the Cause of Death

The most glaring failure isn't what the report got wrong—it's in what it doesn't address at all: independent voters.

By

Matt Shinners

/ May 22, 2026

DNC headquarters. The DNC released its 2024 autopsy of what went wrong, but didn't address the actual reasons the party lost.

CADEM Chair Supports Repealing Top Two. Here's What He's Not Telling Voters.

This week, the Democratic Party chair chose to abandon more than 5 million independent voters in California to embrace a regressive proposal to roll back voter rights.

By

Steve Peace

/ May 19, 2026

California Democratic Party Chair Rusty Hicks

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.

By

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?

The Real Losers in Virginia, SCOTUS Redistricting Decisions are “Progressives” and Trump

In all the drama on redistricting people are overlooking what the courts actually did: They made life miserable for extremists.

By

Steve Peace

/ May 11, 2026

Supreme Court building. Supreme Court redistricting decision.

NYC Shuts Out Half Its Voters. The Forward Party Supports a New Bill to Change That.

The polarization we see in our politics is not a mystery. It is the predictable output of a system designed to produce it. Nothing meaningful can change until we fix the structure that keeps producing these outcomes.

By

Susan DiVito

/ May 8, 2026

A New York City bill would end party control over elections and level the playing field for independent voters.

We Can Tax Billionaires and Be Smart About It

A wealth tax isn't the best idea. Capital gains reform makes much more sense.

By

Cara Brown McCormick

/ April 22, 2026

We Can Tax Billionaires and Be Smart About It

Congress Left Town; The Coast Guard Went to War Without a Paycheck

Many Americans may not realize that during peacetime, the U.S. Coast Guard operates as part of the Department of Homeland Security and is funded by it, not the Department of Defense.

By

Cara Brown McCormick

/ April 12, 2026

Congress Left Town; The Coast Guard Went to War Without a Paycheck

Why We Call Ourselves Independent Voter News

For 15 years, we have published more than 14,000 articles written by people from different walks of life, different parts of the country, and different political backgrounds.

By

IVN Editorial Board

/ April 1, 2026

Why We Call Ourselves Independent Voter News

My Next Congressman Won His Primary with 24% of the Vote

Illinois conducted its 2026 primary elections Tuesday, and in some cases the winner advanced to November with around or less than 30% of the vote. In my congressional district, IL-7, State Representative La Shawn Ford won his primary with roughly 24% of the vote.

By

Shawn Griffiths

/ March 18, 2026

My Next Congressman Won His Primary with 24% of the Vote

Trump to Noem: You're Fired

When threat levels are at their highest due to the situation in Iran, President Trump ousted Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem at 1:40 p.m. March 5 in a Truth Social post and named Republican U.S. Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma as her replacement.

By

Cara Brown McCormick

/ March 5, 2026

How It Really Works: The California Billionaire Wealth Tax

California’s proposed billionaire wealth tax has become one of the most consequential policy debates in the nation.

By

Cara Brown McCormick

/ March 3, 2026

How It Really Works: The California Billionaire Wealth Tax