In June 1776, a group of American colonists met in Philadelphia to declare their independence from Great Britain and the end of George III’s dominion over what would become the United States. Almost all agreed that being ruled by a self-perpetuating monarch who had no qualifications beyond being born into the job; who remained fixed in power without the approbation of his subjects; who could dictate policy and arbitrarily twist the law as he pleased; and who could delegate authority to a group of aristocrats who had no real interest in the welfare over those whom they held sway was ant
Chad Peace is a nationally recognized leader in election law, voter rights, and a legal strategist for the Independent Voter Project.
Editor's Note: This article originally published on The Fulcrum and has been republished on IVN with permission from the publisher.
More than halfway into the year, and with most state legislative sessions concluded, the full scope of voting changes spurred by the 2020 election is coming into view.
Depending on what news station you watch, you might think that one party is the savior and the other, the enemy, of our sacred right to vote.
But what if a larger battle is being waged to secure our right to vote? A battle that threatens insiders on both sides of the partisan political aisles? A battle ignored by a mainstream media that has embedded itself in partisan rhetoric? A battle that would expose the hypocrisy of both parties?
Latino voters in Texas have the numbers to shift the political paradigm in their state. However, turnout among Latinos continues to lag. There are misconceptions and social stigmas about why this is, but the truth lies in deep systemic issues and a history of disempowerment that has left many feeling voiceless and unrepresented.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared on The Fulcrum and has been republished on IVN with permission from the publisher.
President Biden on Tuesday decried the wave of GOP-backed voting restrictions as a "21st century Jim Crow assault" on American democracy. But "good government" groups want to see the president do more than give an impassioned speech.
Editor's Note: This piece originally published on Represent San Diego's blog and has been posted in its entirety on IVN by request and with permission from Represent San Diego.
We're joined by Rob Richie, CEO of FairVote, to discuss his organization, where he finds his passion for democracy reform, and how RCV faired in the Democratic primary for the New York City mayor's race.
Change can be challenging, particularly in the political arena. A deeply rooted history only adds to that challenge. The filibuster is an excellent case-in-point. It allows senators to prohibit a bill from being voted upon, unless three-fifths of the Senate vote to limit and then close the debate, referred to as invoking cloture. The filibuster has been both critiqued as obstructing democratic ideals and hailed as enhancing them.
On this episode of Toppling the Duopoly, host Shawn Griffiths is joined once again by FairVote Senior Research Analyst Deb Otis to discuss the historic ranked choice voting (RCV) primary election in New