Shawn is an election reform expert and National Editor of IVN.us. He studied history and philosophy at the University of North Texas. He joined the IVN team in 2012.
Opinion
Over the last week, The Independent Center released the second and third installments to its 2025 State of the Union Poll, one of which compared and contrasted the views of independent voters and Republicans and the other compared independents and Democrats.
Election Reform
The Virginia Senate approved a bill Monday that would expand the authority of local governments to conduct elections using ranked choice voting (RCV). The bill (SB1009) grants cities, counties, and towns the ability to implement RCV for all elections.
News
The head offices of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) were closed Monday after staffers were told by email not to come to work. It is the latest move in the Trump administration's plan to shut down the agency.
Opinion
More In Common, a nonprofit dedicated to finding ways to bridge political divisions in the US, released a new report that spotlights key areas of agreement across the political spectrum in the early days of the Trump administration.
Campaigns
Independent voters are dissatisfied with the US government and want to see Republicans and Democrats work together under the Trump administration. This is according to a new poll released by The Independent Center.
Election Reform
Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt sat down with former RNC chair and MSNBC commentator Michael Steele to talk about the difference between the partisan politics in DC versus the more pragmatic outcomes at the local level.
Election Reform
Gallup has released its annual look back at what party affiliation looked like in the previous year. What it found was independent ID remained steady at a record-high 43% from 2023 to 2024.
Election Reform
Senate Majority Leader Kirk Cullimore last week introduced a resolution in support of a constitutional amendment designed to restore states' authority to regulate campaign finance laws. The announcement came just days before the anniversary of the infamous Citizens United Supreme Court ruling.
Opinion
Independent voters showcased how critical of a voting bloc they were in the 2024 elections. What's more, they showed that despite the claim that they are "party leaners," they were not committed to candidates of a single party.
Election Reform
A March hearing has been set in the Maryland House of Delegates for a bill that requires special elections if a state lawmaker is appointed to their seat in the first half of their term.
Election Reform
Monday marked the kickoff of the 2025 legislative session in the Iowa General Assembly. However, several bills had already been prefilled for consideration. Among them: a ranked choice voting ban.
Public Safety
In the midst of historic and devastating wildfires in Southern California, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has issued guidance and tips for impacted individuals and families.