Election Reform - Independent Voter News

Report: California Has Tried Ranked Choice Voting for 20 Years. The Scare Tactics Don’t Hold Up.

A new FairVote report finds RCV cities in California have saved money, increased participation in decisive elections, and elected more women and candidates of color.

By

Shawn Griffiths

/ May 22, 2026

Report: California Has Tried Ranked Choice Voting for 20 Years. The Scare Tactics Don’t Hold Up.

Locked Out at the Polls: Pennsylvania’s 1.5 Million Independents Demand a Voice

Independent voters in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh showed up at polling places across Pennsylvania on Tuesday with a simple message: stop locking 1.5 million voters out of taxpayer-funded elections. But there's more!

By Jeremy Gruber

/ May 22, 2026

Independent voters showed up at the polls during the Pennsylvania primary to protest their exclusion in taxpayer-funded elections.

Veterans Group to Court: Don’t Let Party Bosses Shut Independents Out of Texas Primaries

A veteran-led election reform group is asking a federal court to reject an effort by the Republican Party of Texas to close the state’s primary elections. It's a move that would lock out millions of independent voters in one of the most politically consequential states in the US.

By

Shawn Griffiths

/ May 21, 2026

Texas Capitol Building. Veterans for All Voters files their objection to the Texas GOP trying to close state primaries.

The Gerrymandering Wars Have a Wild Card: Independent Voters

Independents showing up in record numbers—as they did in the 2024 presidential election—would allow the bloc to potentially shift a number of seats against the gerrymander.

By

Matt Shinners

/ May 21, 2026

Independent voters walk across a distorted red and blue congressional map as partisan operatives redraw district lines.

Maine Voters Don’t Need a Party Label to Have More Choice on June 9

Ranked Choice Voting will be used statewide in Maine on June 9, 2026, and voters don't need to join a party to get a say in these taxpayer-funded primaries.

By

Cara Brown McCormick

/ May 20, 2026

Maine ranked choice voting will be available to all voters in the June 9 primary.

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

California’s Top Two Primary Needs an Upgrade, Not a Repeal

Instead of turning back the clock, California should continue its history of pro-voter reform and build on the top-two system – by adding ranked-choice voting to its elections.

By

Meredith Sumpter and

Marcela Miranda-Prieto

/ May 18, 2026

Diverse group of Los Angeles voters holding signs that say Ranked Choice Voting, Top 4 Primary, and More Choice in front of the downtown skyline.

Undo the Top-Two? California Candidates Weigh In, and the Responses Might Surprise You

Democrats, Republicans and Greens for Constitutional Office publicly defend the right of every voter to participate. The Democratic secretary of state is on the record saying she would prefer a return to closed partisan primaries. Most statewide candidates won’t say where they stand.

By

IVN Editorial Board

/ May 18, 2026

Democrats, Republicans and Greens for Constitutional Office publicly defend the right of every voter to participate in California.

How California Built the Most Voter-Friendly State in America

California has created one of the most voter-friendly election systems in the nation. Three distinct policies work together to make that possible: a codified set of voter protections, a modernized election model that increases access, and a primary system that opens every race to every voter.

By

Cara Brown McCormick

/ May 14, 2026

Three reforms in California have created one of the most voter-friendly election systems in the country.

More Choice California Launches to Defend Nonpartisan Primary as Democratic and Republican Operatives Join Forces to Repeal It

A broad cross-partisan coalition of California reformers launched More Choice California on Monday to lead the opposition against a proposed repeal of the state's nonpartisan Top Two primary system.

By

Shawn Griffiths

/ May 13, 2026

More Choice Coalition launched this week to defend the nonpartisan primary system that Republicans and Democrats want to repeal.

DC Political Machine Refuses to Implement Landmark Voting Rights Initiative

The DC City Council has refused to fully fund and implement Initiative 83, the semi-open primary and ranked choice voting measure that was approved by 73% of voters in 2024.

By

Shawn Griffiths

/ May 11, 2026

DC Political Machine Refuses to Implement Landmark Voting Rights Initiative

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.