The city commission of Fargo, North Dakota is currently considering a proposal that would dump the choose-one voting method used in a majority of cities and states across the U.S. and adopt approval voting for city elections. Fargo has an opportunity to make history as the first jurisdiction in the nation to use approval voting.

Here is a quick explanation of how approval voting works:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=db6Syys2fmE

Video Credit: The Center for Election Science

The special election process to replace Congressman Ryan Zinke as Montana’s sole representative in the U.S. House is being challenged in court.

Three plaintiffs are suing Montana Secretary of State Corey Stapleton, challenging the Big Sky state’s onerous ballot access rules and questionable election schedule. Green Party nominee Thomas Breck, independent candidate Steve Kelly, and Green Party voter Danielle Breck filed the suit earlier this month.

In November of last year, voters in Colorado passed two election reform measures aimed at their June elections. Proposition 107 established presidential primaries in Colorado (previously the state had conducted caucuses), and the primaries will be conducted as open primaries, where voters do not have to be affiliated with a party to vote in any of the parties’ primaries.

This week meet the party that believes power starts from the bottom up.

Host T.J. O’Hara is joined by Green Party National Political Organizer Adrián Boutureira. The two discuss the Green Party’s core philosophies, and what’s next for the party.

Readers who have been following IVN's ongoing coverage of the debate commission and the lawsuits brought against it are acquainted with the Commission on Presidential Debate's criterium that requires presidential candidates to poll at 15% or more in 5 polls hand-picked by the debate commission to appear on the presidential debate stage.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1zdvSsLBvM

On Monday, the Senate approved in a near unanimous vote to clear the way for Montenegro to be the latest entry into NATO. The vote does not officially add the Balkan country, but it does approve a final vote later this week.

The Senate vote in favor was 97-2. The two dissenting votes were U.S. Sens. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Mike Lee (R-Utah).

After 7 years of the controversial PPACA and promises by candidate Donald Trump to repeal and replace, Republicans found themselves unable to pass their own bill. With critics ranging from conservative Republicans who saw the AHCA as “Obamacare Lite” to others worried about short-term loss of coverage, Speaker Ryan couldn’t garner the votes and Republicans pulled the bill, leaving Obamacare as “the law of the land.”

Last November, in the first such ruling in 30 years, partisan gerrymandering suffered a huge defeat when a district court in Wisconsin ruled that the state’s partisan redistricting plan was unconstitutional and served no legitimate government purpose.

Now, attorneys for the State of Wisconsin are challenging that ruling before the Supreme Court.

T.J. O'Hara, IVN correspondent and host of A Civil Assessment (IVN's newest podcast), appeared on Politically Speaking Sunday evening, a weekly segment on NBC7 in San Diego. Hosted by Gene Cubbison, O'Hara was brought on to talk about the state of civility (or lack thereof) in American politics.

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Contact: George Penn, 608-244-6436, geo_penn@charter.net

Nine Communities to Vote to Reclaim Democracy from Moneyed Interests