Update 8/30/20: Maine Secretary of State Matt Dunlap has appealed the superior court's ruling on an emergency basis. The clock is ticking as in 5 weeks, absentee ballots will be sent out in 5 weeks. Stay tuned for more updates.

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Maine was set to be the first state in the US to use ranked choice voting in presidential elections. That has all changed after a recent ruling by a superior court judge.

An associate warden of the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility resigned last Friday — days after seven officers were attacked by inmates, an incident the leader described as a "lack of responsiveness" by his superiors.

Editor's Note: This op-ed originally appeared in the South Florida Sun Sentinel and has been republished in its entirety with permission from the author.

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This November, Florida voters have the chance to expand the voting rights of all registered voters by supporting “All Voters Vote” — Amendment 3.

Most Americans agree that the current political process does not serve their interests. They believe the country is headed in the wrong direction. They believe policymakers are more concerned with what their party wants than what their constituents want.

And they’re not wrong. But, voters in several states have an opportunity in 2020 to help move the needle on reform that would give voters greater power over and confidence in the political process.

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

The primary path to the middle class for American families is through property ownership. However, for many African Americans, Latinos and other minorities, the opportunity has been out of reach because of discriminatory housing laws and economic inequality.

Al Porche has been driving the streets of San Diego for seven years as a rideshare driver, a job he says gives him the income and flexibility he needs. 

“I do this full-time because I love it,” Porche said. “It allowed me to have more freedom with the people. It’s my passion.”  

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

The issue of whether to physically open schools or not for the fall period has drawn a great deal of concern, anger and frustration on all sides of the issue.

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

The Common Sense Party, a new political party being formed in California, stands for fiscal responsibility, social inclusivity and pragmatic decision-making.

Editor's Note: This article originally published on The Fulcrum and has been republished on IVN with permission from the publisher.

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Postmaster General Louis DeJoy promised on Friday that the Postal Service would fulfill its "sacred duty" to deliver election mail this fall and said he was "extremely highly confident" that even mail-in ballots sent close to Election Day would be delivered on time.

The severe collapse in the economy did not result from the typical business-cycle, overheated and bubble-bursting downturn. The contraction of business activity, unprecedented in both depth and velocity inflicted during U.S. history, was brought on by government decree imposing economic marital law, forbidding normal consumer activity, and shuttering business operations.