California 2026
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.
Commentary
Commentary
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.
Commentary
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
Commentary
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 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
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.
Commentary
Are You Wondering Who is to Blame For Nationwide Verizon Outage?
Verizon Wireless customers across the United States were hit by a major outage on January 14, leaving tens of thousands of phones in “SOS” mode and users unable to make calls, send texts, or access mobile data.
Commentary
Americans Hate Gerrymandering. This New Party Hack Can Defeat It
In 2024, measures for statewide election reform failed in all eight states where they were on the ballot. Despite growing support for competitive elections, these initiatives unraveled as the result of pushback from the political establishment. The major parties only agree to oppose any measure impe
Commentary
How Prediction Markets Bring Real Independence to Political Commentary
Does a loudmouth in your family believe that AOC is on track to be the 2028 Democratic nominee or that Trump will be impeached by Christmas? Prediction markets tell very different stories.
Gerrymandering
Is Politico's Gerrymandering Poll and Analysis Misleading?
Politico published a story last week under the headline “Poll: Americans don’t just tolerate gerrymandering — they back it.” Still, a close review of the data shows the poll does not support that conclusion. The poll shows that Americans overwhelmingly prefer either an independent redistricting proc
Commentary
Cabinet on the Clock: How Four Top Officials Can Win Back Public Trust
The honeymoon is over. A new national survey from the Independent Center reveals that a plurality of American adults and registered voters believe key cabinet officials should be replaced—a striking rebuke of the administration’s current direction.