Some San Diegans are asking why there aren’t Republican candidates in the citywide campaigns for city attorney, mayor, and City Council. The quick answer is that local elections have always been nonpartisan, meaning that the top two vote getters advance to November regardless of party affiliation. In fact, decades ago, these races were truly nonpartisan. Political parties had little or no role.

PORTLAND, MAINE - The Maine Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that the secretary of state was correct in invalidating nearly 1,000 signatures collected for a people’s veto campaign to kill a 2019 law that extends ranked choice voting (RCV) to presidential elections. The decision means two things:

This is an independent commentary. Have your own opinion? Write it! Email it to hoa@ivn.us

On the sidewalks throughout San Diego, you may have noticed that booths have set up shop and started selling goods. Sometimes it takes the form of t-shirts. Often it’s a sizzling grill. Maybe you will see crystals or someone’s art. But there is no mistaking that commerce now exists where once only public use was allowed. 

Disclaimer: Chad Peace is an attorney for the Independent Voter Project and represents 6 of the individual plaintiffs in this case.

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SAN DIEGO, CALIF. - If we said that citizens have religious freedom, as long as they joined a state-sanctioned church, that argument would roundly be dismissed as absurd. But when it comes to the right to vote in California’s presidential primary, that is exactly the argument of the state of California.

This is an independent opinion written exclusively for IVN San Diego. Have an opinion of your own? Write it! Email it to hoa@ivn.us

This is an independent opinion. Have one of your own? Write it! Email it to hoa@ivn.us

This is Part One of a two-part series on racism and the education system. Part Two will be published on Monday, Sept. 28.

The education system is “particularly effective at reproducing racial inequality” and is one of the best examples of structural racism in our society, said author Robin DiAngelo, in a recent talk presented by San Diego’s National Conflict Resolution Center. 

While the term "struggling" is frequently used to describe artists, "resilient,"  "resourceful" or "entrepreneurial" may be more accurate descriptions. Whatever their chosen artistic pursuit,  most artists struggle to find affordable housing or studio space while drawing on considerable inner resources to continue creating their art and maintaining other jobs to support their passion.

When the news broke that Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died last week, social media became filled with messages honoring the ardent leader of human rights. San Diego's elected leaders and candidates also took to Twitter and Facebook to remember Ginsburg, who died at the age of 87 and was the second female to ever serve in the country's highest court.

Here's what local leaders and candidates wrote on social media.

IVN San Diego Editor's Note: This Supreme Court ruling could have a big effect on San Diego. A proposed hotel tax increase came just short of winning a two-thirds vote in March. Supporters will likely seek a court ruling on the measure.