Former US Senator Joe Manchin publicly condemned recent moves by West Virginia lawmakers to ban ranked choice voting and potentially restrict independent voters from participating in primary elections, calling the developments "political gamesmanship."

The New York City Charter Revision Commission, convened by Mayor Eric Adams, released a preliminary report last week in which it states it is considering two potential reforms to city primary elections that exclude a fifth of the city's electorate. 

Elections in the US make it all, but impossible for third party and independent candidates to compete in most elections. Still, for several decades there have been established third parties at the national level, including the Libertarian, Green, and Reform Parties.

For millions of independent voters, short-term pain isn’t just uncomfortable—it’s unsustainable.

There is an old saying: All politics is local. However, many voters may get the impression this is becoming less and less a reality -- particularly in US House and Senate elections where candidates are elected to represent specific districts or states, but campaign to a national audience.

Austen Campbell was the Deputy Finance Director for independent Senate candidate Dan Osborn, whose grassroots campaign in Nebraska turned a presumed Republican stronghold into a competitive race - scaring the GOP establishment in the process.

Alaska U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski is one of the few Republicans standing up to President Trump and expressing fear that key strategic alliances, our democracy, civil liberties and the rule of law are being under-mind. She also was one of the few Republicans to vote to impeach him.

As President Donald Trump calls for the reopening and expansion of Alcatraz Island to house the nation’s “most ruthless and violent offenders,” a new state audit raises alarms about California’s state prison system: most state-run facilities are not adequately prepared to evacuate during natural disasters.

There is a bill in the US House that, if passed, would ensure millions of independent voters have a more meaningful say in who represents them by requiring open primaries for federal elections. Outside of VN, however, few outlets have talked about it.

Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME-2), one of the most independent voices in Congress, will face a new challenger in 2026: former Maine Governor Paul LePage. Once again conducted under Maine’s ranked choice voting (RCV) system, the race is expected to draw national attention in one of the country’s most competitive congressional districts.