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Steve Peace, co-founder of the Independent Voter Project and architect of California’s top-two primary, breaks down the wide-open CA governor’s race and why campaigns still think in party buckets.
Latest
Republican Rep Says Voter ID Should Be Mandatory – and Free
Republican U.S. Rep. Bryan Steil says the federal government should not only mandate voter ID in federal elections, but the government should also provide these IDs for free ahead of a House vote on the SAVE America Act (H.R.7296).
Why Neither Side Wants the Truth About Voter ID
Voter ID is treated like a five-alarm fire in American politics. That reaction says more about our dysfunctional political system than it does about voter ID itself.
11 Ways the MEGA Act in Congress Tries to Control How You Vote
In the final reform roundup of January, I briefly discussed a new bill in the US House that attempts to overhaul elections in every state called the Make Elections Great Again Act (or MEGA Act for short). This bill touches on everything from:
How the 'Politics Industry' Breaks Everything: ICE, CA Governor’s Race, and Reform
Steve Peace -- co-founder of the Independent Voter Project and architect of California’s Top Two primary -- breaks down the wide-open California governor’s race and why campaigns still think in party buckets. The hosts dig into open primaries plus ranked-choice, ICE/immigration and civil liberties,
Why Presidential Primaries Keep Failing – and the Radical Reform That Could Save Them
According to a study conducted by Unite America, many Americans are dissatisfied with the presidential primary process, citing issues like exclusion of independent voters, low turnout, candidates moving to extremes, wasted votes, and the power of party insiders.
Poll: Americans Reject 'Money = Speech' by Landslide; Want Power Back from Supreme Court
A new poll from American Promise shows most Americans across the political spectrum agree: Money is not speech and unlimited political spending should not be protected as such under the First Amendment.
No, Trump Can’t Cancel Elections or Ban Ranked Choice Voting
A recent Independent Voter News article addressed alarms that the SAVE Act could become a vehicle for banning ranked choice voting nationwide, driven by President Donald Trump’s hostility toward mail voting and RCV and by Republican efforts to attach anti-RCV language to federal legislation.
Republicans Pack the Court in Utah to Prevent Decisions They Don’t Like
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox will appoint two more justices to the state Supreme Court after he signed a bill into law that increases the size of the court from 5 members to 7. Notably, the change comes as the legislature is trying to restore an all-GOP congressional map.
Trump’s Immigration Pivot Is Coming. Politically Smart, Legally Necessary
Immigration has always been a flashpoint in American politics. But in January 2026, it became a political liability for the White House, not just a policy debate. Interior immigration enforcement, ICE operations, and Fourth Amendment rights are now colliding in ways that are reshaping the national p
Trump Hates Mail-In Voting, Ranked Choice Voting So Much GOP Adds Bans to SAVE Act
A new bill in the U.S. House called the Make Elections Great Again Act (MEGA) would enact new election rules right before the 2026 midterms. The legislation incorporates key provisions of the SAVE Act, but also targets ranked choice voting and mail-in ballots.
How the Republicans' FCC Rules Will Make Partisanship Even Worse
Picture a partisan political federal referee standing just offstage of the iconic Saturday Night Live set, just before it's taping before a live audience at 8pm, stopwatch in hand, deciding who belongs in the political conversation and who does not.
Independent Voter Podcast
Does the 4th Amendment Apply to Everyone? ICE, Warrants, and Constitutional Rights
Does the 4th Amendment protect only U.S. citizens - or everyone on U.S. soil? Chad and Cara dig into warrants, search-and-seizure limits, and how immigration enforcement tests constitutional boundaries. They also weigh the politics of voter ID - why it polls well, how ballot measures get framed, and
California 2026
Mayor Matt Mahan Could Turn the California Governor Race Upside Down
Rumors are circulating that San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan may enter the race for California governor. If the recently elected Democratic mayor makes the move, he could jolt a contest that, to date, has been remarkably sleepy.
California 2026
Neither Party Owns This Seat: Independent Voters Control California’s Desert Battleground
California’s Assembly District 47 stretches across Riverside and San Bernardino Counties, encompassing the cities of Banning, Beaumont, Calimesa, Cathedral City, Desert Hot Springs, Indian Wells, La Quinta, Yucaipa, Palm Springs, Palm Desert, Rancho Mirage, and the town of Yucca Valley, along with p
Independent Voters
Gallup: Independent Voters Hit 45% – So Why Does the Political Establishment Keep Pretending They Don’t Matter?
Gallup released its latest identification numbers, and independent voters are now 45%. Nobody disputes the data. But there are competing opinions as to what the data means.
Open Primaries
Partisan Elections Are America’s Greatest Hypocrisy – Maine Can Lead the Way Out
Kyle Bailey, a former Maine state legislator and Maine’s leading major election reformer, had an excellent op-ed in the Portland Press Herald in 2025. In that piece of commentary, “How we do elections matters,” Bailey celebrates the value of ranked choice voting to Maine and urges its expansion to s
Open Primaries
Oklahoma Independents Drive Massive Push to Open Primaries With State Question 836
While much of the U.S. was slammed with severe winter weather over the weekend, volunteers for Oklahoma State Question 836 – which would end the use of taxpayer-funded closed primaries – made a final push to get their campaign to over 200,000 petition signatures.
California 2026
Aisha Wahab Exits – Independent Voters Now Decide Silicon Valley Senate Seat
Stretching across portions of Alameda and Santa Clara Counties, California’s Senate District 10 is one of the state’s economic powerhouses. It includes the cities of Fremont, Hayward, Milpitas, Newark, Sunnyvale, Santa Clara, and Union City, as well as portions of San Jose. The district’s economy is
Reform Roundup
For California Candidates Courting Independent Voters, These Reforms Could Win A Lot of Votes
California independent voters are not a monolith. They fall across the political spectrum and hold diverse opinions on a variety of social and political issues. But one thing that unites them is a shared belief that California needs more choice elections.
Independent Voter Podcast
Everyone’s WRONG About ICE: Debunking the Red/Blue Narrative
A viral question - “Has ICE gone too far?” - turns into a deep dive on immigration enforcement after the Minneapolis shooting of Renee Nicole Good. The team weighs conflicting video narratives, what voters actually want ICE to prioritize, and reports of would-be citizens being turned away at natural
Gerrymandering
Gavin Newsom, Ben Shapiro, and Donald Trump Finally Agree on a Major Voting Rights Issue
If you asked Gavin Newsom, Ben Shapiro, or Donald Trump whether they put voters first, all three would say yes. They would say it confidently. They would say it sincerely. But they aren’t being honest with themselves, or you.
California 2026
Leticia Castillo Doesn’t Fit California’s Political Boxes, and Neither Does Her District
The new 58th Assembly District, previously AD60 before California’s 2021 redistricting, is considered the birthplace of California’s citrus industry.
Reform Roundup
Joe Manchin is Furious as West Virginia Denies Independents a Vote — Again
The Republican Party of West Virginia has elected to keep its primary elections closed to party members only, despite these elections being paid for by taxpayers and are the most critical stage of the public elections process.