Alexa Mikalaski recently graduated from UCLA with a BA in Economics. She is a native San Diegan and lifelong independent with a passion for election reform.
In a country that often feels divided between two camps, the Republicans and the Democrats, independent voters could really be the future of politics in America. While polarized, if not combative, politics are nothing new (e.g., the election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860 that tore the nation apart), there
We’ve all heard of the debates between top democrats, but what about all the other candidates running for President? Elevate the Debate is a collaborative effort between Free and Equal Elections Foundation and Open the Debates, who have teamed up to produce at least two Open Presidential Debates this
A legal challenge, filed by Level the Playing Field, and joined by the Green Party of the United States and the Libertarian National Committee, to the Commission on Presidential Debate's rulemaking and tax-exempt status will be heard by a federal judge in the DC Circuit on February 24th.
The most basic right in a healthy democracy is the right to vote. Without this right, governments can turn into the worst of autocracies and dictatorships, ignoring the needs of citizens and abusing the power of the state. Voter discrimination is not a new phenomenon and has been around since
Independent Voter Project
What are some of the benefits surrounding adopting a top-four primary using Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) in San Diego? What are some potential concerns voters have? This past week, the Independent Voter Project, League of Women Voters San Diego, RepresentUs, Fairvote, and independent Councilmember Mark Kersey set out to find
As 2019 comes to a close we want to wrap up the year with a review of our most popular stories on nonpartisan reform and unfiltered political news. Unfortunately, many top stories are rife with fine examples of how parties rig the election process -- from denying Bernie the Democratic
On December 6, 2019 nonpartisan reformers from across the country descended on Denver, Colorado for the second annual summit of the National Association of Nonpartisan Reformers (NANR). The summit concluded with an award ceremony recognizing three remarkable individuals for their unparalleled commitment and leadership to advancing revolutionary, nonpartisan change to
A new survey by the Independent Voter Project (IVP) asked people if they believe our country was heading in the right or wrong direction and what they believe is the biggest problem in politics today. After garnering over 1,000 responses, here is what IVP found: It is no secret
5 million New Yorkers are set to vote on the measure, which if passed, voters will be able to rank up to 5 candidates in primary and special elections for Mayor, Public Advocate, Comptroller, Borough President, and City Council beginning in January 2021.
As of August 2018, there were 423 third party and independent candidates who filed or declared congressional runs, compared to 1,185 Democrats and 1,034 Republicans. Of these 423 individuals, there are numerous women who are making congressional runs this 2018. Here are three notable independent female candidates to
In the lead up to the 2018 midterms, female candidates running as independents and third parties are shockingly under-represented by organizations who endorse and track women – even those groups who claim to be nonpartisan. One example is The Center for American Women and Politics that was established in July 1971
While viewing a map of congressional districts, one may believe they are examining an unsolvable puzzle. The same type of puzzle where you dump thousands of tiny colored pieces out of a box onto your kitchen table and immediately realize you have a bad case of buyer’s remorse. Similarly,