Election Reform - IVN Staging

Should Ballots Include Political Endorsements?

At first glance, this feels like common sense. Voters walk into low-turnout municipal races and crowded primaries with almost no information. Beyond a party label – which is often meaningless in local governance – they are handed a list of names and told to decide.

By Shawn Griffiths

/ 3 Mar 2026

Close-up of a primary election ballot featuring endorsement symbols, illustrating the debate over on-ballot endorsements and voter information reform in local elections.

Don’t Kill Top Two. Upgrade It: A Smarter Way to Elect California’s Governor

The answer to today’s crowded field is not retreat. It is modernization. Instead of empowering party gatekeepers, we can empower voters with more choice, less vote splitting, and majority-supported outcomes.

By John E Palmer

/ 3 Mar 2026

Demonstrators outside the California State Capitol debate the Top-Two primary system during the California governor race, highlighting election reform and voter choice issues.

No Referee in the Midterms? Trump’s FEC Nominations Come After 10 Months of Zero Federal Oversight

As February wrapped up, it was reported that President Donald Trump had nominated two Republicans for the Federal Elections Commission after 10 months of the agency being unable to perform its basic functions.

By Shawn Griffiths

/ 2 Mar 2026

Empty Federal Election Commission hearing room symbolizing FEC shutdown during 2026 midterms as Trump nominates new commissioners amid campaign finance oversight crisis.

America at 250: Independent Voters Declare Independence from the Two-Party System

On February 27, 2026, the better elections group Open Primaries released a sweeping public statement titled Declaration of Independents, framing the exclusion of independent voters from critical taxpayer-funded elections as the unfinished business of 1776.

By Shawn Griffiths

/ 27 Feb 2026

Independent voters holding a “Declaration of Independents” outside a closed primary gate near the U.S. Capitol during America’s 250th anniversary.

ABC, State of Gold, and New York Times Turn to Independent Voter Project for Expertise

It didn’t take long for our poll to get noticed not only in Sacramento, but all the way over on the East Coast where the New York Times featured it alongside other reputable pollsters like Emerson College and the Public Policy Institute of California.

By Independent Voter Project

/ 26 Feb 2026

Independent Voter Project 2026 California governor poll showing independent voter trends, Top Two primary impact, and election reform data featured in national media coverage.

Tony Evers’ Final Mission as Governor: End Partisan Gerrymandering for Good

In his 2026 State of the State address, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers announced that he plans to call a special state legislative session in the Spring to put an end to partisan gerrymandering “once and for all.” And he will keep calling lawmakers into session until happens.

By Shawn Griffiths

/ 24 Feb 2026

Illustration of Wisconsin congressional districts divided red and blue over a cracked chessboard, symbolizing partisan gerrymandering and redistricting reform efforts in Wisconsin.

81% of Americans Say Money Controls Politics – Can a Constitutional Amendment Fix It?

Polls consistently show that nearly all Americans across the political spectrum agree that there is too much money in politics – whether from foreign sources, corporations, or so-called “dark money” groups.

By Shawn Griffiths

/ 23 Feb 2026

Brass balance scale weighing campaign cash labeled Super PAC and Dark Money against the U.S. Constitution amendment, symbolizing campaign finance reform.

Virginia House of Delegates Passes Ranked Choice Voting Expansion

The bill, introduced by Delegate Katrina Callsen, authorizes a permanent option for ranked choice voting expansion. This allows cities and counties to implement the reform for any and/or all of their elections, including mayoral elections.

By Shawn Griffiths

/ 17 Feb 2026

Virginia House of Delegates passes ranked choice voting expansion bill which will give voters a new voting option at the ballot.

Missouri Candidates Still Don’t Know Their Districts as GOP Map Faces Lawsuits and Veto Referendum Fight

Candidate filings for Congress are set to begin soon in Missouri, yet the people looking to run still have no idea which districts they will be campaigning in as multiple lawsuits against Missouri’s new congressional map have yet to be settled.

By Shawn Griffiths

/ 16 Feb 2026

Missouri congressional district maps labeled HB 1 on a desk with a court gavel and February 24 filing deadline as lawsuits challenge the GOP redistricting plan.

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).

By Shawn Griffiths

/ 9 Feb 2026

Republican Rep Says Voter ID Should Be Mandatory – and Free

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:

By Shawn Griffiths

/ 6 Feb 2026

11 Ways the MEGA Act in Congress Tries to Control How You Vote

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.

By Mike Cantwell

/ 4 Feb 2026

Why Presidential Primaries Keep Failing – and the Radical Reform That Could Save Them