The Washington Post reports that according to six people familiar with the discussions, President Donald Trump is expected to direct federal agencies to reclassify marijuana from a Schedule I to a Schedule III controlled substance.

The Institute for Mathematics and Democracy (IMD) has released what may be the most comprehensive empirical study of ranked choice voting ever conducted. The 66-page report analyzes nearly 4,000 real-world ranked ballot elections, including some 2,000 political elections, and more than 60 million simulated ones to test how different voting methods perform.

Independent Voter Podcast host Chad Peace and co-host Cara McCormick dive into the left’s political freak-out over Trump potentially rescheduling cannabis — and what it exposes about a system that weaponizes even 80/20 issues.

In 2024, measures for statewide election reform failed in all eight states where they were on the ballot. Despite growing support for competitive elections, these initiatives unraveled as the result of pushback from the political establishment. The major parties only agree to oppose any measure impeding their incumbents' re-election. 

A new Emerson College poll of California’s 2026 governor’s race confirms what many election observers have suspected. California is entering a high stakes primary season with no clear front runners, a crowded field, and an election system where the outcome often depends less on voter preference and more on mathematical luck.

The National Association of Nonpartisan Reformers (NANR) held its 9th annual summit in Miami this week following a year of political chaos and partisan machinations that put power before representation, accountability, and fairness.

As IVN’s Shawn Griffiths travels to Miami to share hard-earned intel at the National Association of Nonpartisan Reformers (NANR) conference, Chad and Cara focus on Washington, DC, where a 73 percent mandate for an open primary and ranked-choice voting is being slow-walked into something smaller and safer for the political class.

Independent Voter News is saddened to share the passing of Bob Foster, a trusted advisor to the Independent Voter Project and a longtime friend of our organization. He died on Sunday at the age of 78.

According to reporting from The Washington Informer and WUSA9 (CBS), D.C. Councilmember Wendell Felder (D Ward 7) has withdrawn his emergency legislation that would have required the D.C. Board of Elections (DCBOE) to conduct a comprehensive needs assessment before implementing ranked choice voting (RCV) in 2026. Felder’s proposal did not receive enough support from his colleagues during the council’s December 2 legislative meeting, following a breakfast discussion earlier that morning.