Editor's Note: This article originally appeared on The Fulcrum, and was republished on IVN with permission from the publisher.

Straight-ticket voting won't be returning to Texas now that a federal judge has rejected an effort by Democrats to maintain the practice.

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

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Progressive groups may use the courts to pursue even more wide-open absentee balloting in Missouri this year.

It was brought to the attention of the IVN editorial team that Facebook had labeled a recent quote posted on the IVN Page from US President Abraham Lincoln as “false information.” The fact check bewildered us given the nature of the quote and to whom it was attributed.

This evening we talk with Chad Peace, legal advisor for the Independent Voter Project. The Independent Voter Project (IVP) is a non-profit 501(c)4 organization that seeks to re-engage nonpartisan voters and promote nonpartisan election reform through initiatives, litigation, and voter education. IVP works with organizations around the country to reduce the institutional barriers that limit electoral competition and restrict the nonpartisan right to vote, thus insulating the two major parties from competition.

Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill into law Thursday that requires election administrators to mail ballots to all registered voters across the state. The bill ensures all voters have the option to vote by mail amidst ongoing health concerns related to COVID-19, though some races may take weeks to be officially resolved as ballots can now be received up to 17 days after Election Day.

Here is what you need to know:

That voter suppression is antithetical to democracy seems axiomatic, particularly if democracy is defined as rule by the majority. It is also, however, perhaps the most effective means for a minority to attain and perpetuate control of an elected government. Since it will not do to admit to cheating one’s way to power, voter suppression is generally couched in such euphemisms as “preventing voter fraud,” or “ensuring that only those able to understand for whom they are voting get to cast a ballot.”

First, on behalf of the NANR Board, I want to thank our members for making NANR's first Spotlight program on June 8 a big success, highlighting the important work our members are doing to ensure safe and secure elections in times of crises.

Most Americans believe the US is headed in the wrong direction, trust in the federal government is at dismal levels, and people are consumed by frustration, grief, and/or rage in uncertain and tumultuous times.

In the latest episode of "Unrig It," the official podcast of the National Association of Nonpartisan Reformers (NANR), Independent Voter News editor Shawn Griffiths talks with Honorary NANR Co-Chair Katherine Gehl. Gehl is a pre-eminent leader in the national reform space and is co-author of the new book, The Politics Industry: How Political Innovation Can Break Partisan Gridlock and Save Our Democracy.

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

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A long, and long-shot, quest to get more candidates onto the presidential debate stage has run aground in a federal appeals court.