The Independent Voter Project (IVP) and California Forward (CA Fwd) invite you to an exciting event in Sacramento, California. On August 19, we will hold a series of panel discussions on voting rights, nonpartisan primaries, and the future of elections.

Tuesday night, viewers of the Daily Show with Jon Stewart were treated to the final interview between Jon Stewart and Barack Obama. The interview took up all three blocks of the show, with topics ranging from the nuclear deal with Iran, to relations with the media, and ended on how to inspire civic engagement. The interview felt at times like two athletes that knew they were retiring at the top of their game.

As Republican candidates continue to try to stand out from the pack and win the party's nomination for president, experts say a young senator from Florida could be the party's best hope at winning over independent voters.

That senator is Marco Rubio, and his youth and charisma could make him an appealing candidate for younger voters who are tired of partisan politics, said Susan MacManus, political science professor at the University of South Florida in Tampa.

The fastest growing segment of voters in Florida are increasingly choosing no party affiliation. These independent voters might soon have the opportunity to vote for a nonpartisan, open primary system in the 2016 election.

The Federal Election Commission last week turned down a request to consider a rulemaking that would force the Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) to open those contests to independent candidates.

It is perhaps rarer than a blue moon that both major U.S. political parties agree on something. However, on this point, at least, there is consensus between Democrats and Republicans: The food stamps program must change.

In an exclusive interview, I recently had the privilege of speaking to an American hero, William Binney, NSA whistle-blower.

We discussed how NSA mass data collection makes us LESS safe; how the intentions behind it are not misguided but positively nefarious; how the lies that have been told about it are snowballing, and how Rand Paul's presidential candidacy may uniquely represent an opportunity for change.

Personal stories matter in politics. Personal stories connect us to the issues. They tie large, abstract issues to personal, human events. They help us empathize. They help us connect to each other, allowing us to understand, even if we don’t agree. It’s personal stories that change opinions.

Why all the buzz about whether we should call former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, "Hillary"? Or use just the familiar “Jeb” to refer to former Florida Governor John Ellis Bush.