<div><div></div>California District Attorneys Association President and El Dorado County DA Vern Pierson, joins us to discuss Los Angeles's spiraling gun violence, and how LA District Attorney George Gascón's policies are contributing to the surge in violent crime.</div>

Bryan Miller

District Attorney President Vern Pierson on LA's Spiraling Gun Violence

Photo Credit: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/eoringel/">Ethan Oringel / Flickr</a>

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Nearly three-quarters of Oakland voters (74%) approved an initiative in 2022 that took a comprehensive approach to campaign finance solutions in the city.

Howev

Nearly three-quarters of Oakland voters (74%) approved an initiative in 2022 that took a comprehensive approach to campaign finance solutions in the city. However, one of its historic changes is in need of funding if it is going to be implemented by 2026; namely, its "democracy dollars" public finance system.

Funding Problems Plague Oakland's New 'Democracy Dollars' Program

Photo Credit: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/perspective/">Elvert Barnes / Flickr</a>

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President Joe Biden’s campaign issued a challenge to former President Donald Trump Wednesday to two debates: One in June and one in

President Joe Biden’s campaign issued a challenge to former President Donald Trump Wednesday to two debates: One in June and one in September. The debates have to be hosted by a news outlet and will not be conducted in front of a crowd.

Did the Major Party Campaigns Just End the Commission on Presidential Debates? 

Photo Credit: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/gmeador/">George Meador / Flickr</a>

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Imagine being part of the largest segment of the registered voting population and being denied the right to an equal vote in elections. Well, millions of voters across the

Imagine being part of the largest segment of the registered voting population and being denied the right to an equal vote in elections. Well, millions of voters across the US don't have to imagine this because it is a reality for them in every election cycle. 

Only 7% of Voters Have Returned Ballots in Oregon's Closed Primaries

Photo Credit:&nbsp;<a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20161031010114/http://www.panoramio.com/user/1699605?with_photo_id=123333888">Roman Eugeniusz</a>&nbsp;/ Panoramio

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In 2020, voters in the “red” state of Alaska passed a

A recent poll conducted by Competitive Edge research with funding by More Choice San Diego found that 62% of voters in Chula Vista -- if given the opportunity -- would support a measure that would advance five candidates to a general election that uses ranked ballots.

POLL: Nearly Two-Thirds of Chula Vista Voters Want to Change the Way They Vote

Editor's Note: This article <a href="https://thefulcrum.us/electoral-reforms/ranked-choice-voting-2668213013">originally published</a> in The Fulcrum and has been republished on IVN with permission from the publisher. Photo Credit:&nbsp;<a href="https://unsplash.com/@cameramandan83?utm_conten

Imagine it’s election night 2024. A few close swing states will decide the presidency – and test the health of our democracy. In that scenario, we can be certain of two facts: Neither Joe Biden nor Donald Trump will win a majority of the vote, and votes for independent and third-party candidates will dwarf the final margin.

Adding Ranked Choice Voting to Presidential Elections Could Happen by 2028

Photo Credit:&nbsp;<a href="https://unsplash.com/@erenyldz98">Eren Yildiz / Unsplash+</a>

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The Nevada Supreme Court on Friday upheld the ruling of a lower district court that two identical ballot questions that would create an independent redistricting commissio

The Nevada Supreme Court on Friday upheld the ruling of a lower district court that two identical ballot questions that would create an independent redistricting commission were invalid because sponsors did not add a revenue source to either initiative.

Democrat-Led Lawsuit Kills Independent Redistricting Initiatives in Nevada

Photo Credit: <a href="https://unsplash.com/@gettyimages">Getty Images / Unsplash+</a>

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" referrerpolicy="strict-orig

Open Primaries continued its ongoing virtual discussion series Tuesday with a conversation on independent voters, who they are, and why we have a system that actively suppresses their voices at every level of elections and government.

Independent Voters Are Many Things -- A Myth Isn't One of Them

Photo Credit: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/gageskidmore/">Gage Skidmore / Flickr</a>

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Independent presidential candidate Robert F Kennedy extended a challenge Tuesday to former President Donald Trump to debate him at the Libertarian National Convention

Independent presidential candidate Robert F Kennedy extended a challenge Tuesday to former President Donald Trump to debate him at the Libertarian National Convention at the end of May.

RFK Jr Challenges Trump to Debate; Calls Out 'Fake Polls'

Photo Credit: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/samirluther/">Samir Luther / Flickr</a>

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One week after the Idahoans for Open Primaries coalition submitted roughly 30,000 more signatures than they needed to get a nonpartisan top-four primary system on the b

One week after the Idahoans for Open Primaries coalition submitted roughly 30,000 more signatures than they needed to get a nonpartisan top-four primary system on the ballot, South Dakota Open Primaries met the required number of signatures in their own state to put a top-two system before voters.

South Dakota Open Primaries Submits 47K Signatures to Get Nonpartisan Primary Reform on the Ballot

Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt recently signed into law a bill that bans ranked choice voting (RCV) at all levels of elections within the state. Oklahoma is the seventh state to pass a law that stops voters from exploring the alternative voting method.&nbsp;

Regardless of how one feels a

Protecting Our Laboratories of Democracy: The Dangers of Ranked Choice Voting Bans

Photo Credit:&nbsp;<a href="https://unsplash.com/@jdsimcoe?utm_content=creditCopyText&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_source=unsplash">Jonathan Simcoe</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/low-angle-photo-of-us-flag-placed-on-gray-pole-S9J1HqoL9ns?utm_content=creditCopyText&amp;utm_medium=r

David Daley, a senior fellow at the nonpartisan better elections group FairVote, released a statement Wednesday on Robert F Kennedy Jr's "no spoiler pledge," calling it "weird" and "unproven."

FairVote's David Daley Responds to RFK Jr's 'No Spoiler Pledge': There's A Better Way

Photo Credit: <a href="Independent presidential candidate Robert F Kennedy Jr made an unprecedented announcement Wednesday: He challenged President Biden to take a &quot;no spoiler pledge,&quot; which he will also take with one major stipulation: Whoever does worse in a head-to-head poll aga

Independent presidential candidate Robert F Kennedy Jr made an unprecedented announcement Wednesday: He challenged President Biden to take a "no spoiler pledge," which he will also take with one major stipulation.

RFK Jr Says True Spoiler in 2024 Election Should Drop Out -- But It's Not Him

Photo Credit:&nbsp;<a href="https://unsplash.com/@someguy?utm_content=creditCopyText&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_source=unsplash">Andy Feliciotti</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/people-biking-on-road-and-different-vehicles-viewing-united-states-capitol-during-daytime-screensho

In April, Maine Gov. Janet Mills gave the OK for her state to join the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact. This is a proposal that garners mixed reactions from the public, and support or opposition can largely fall on party lines.

Top Maine Lawmaker Advocates Electoral Change Solely to Spite the 'Other Side'

Photo Credit:&nbsp;<a href="https://unsplash.com/@element5digital?utm_content=creditCopyText&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_source=unsplash">Element5 Digital</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/a-close-up-of-a-toothbrush-with-the-word-vote-written-on-it-2i7Dn2uMEQE?utm_content=credit

An initiative that would ensure equal voting rights for 270,000 independent voters in Idaho is all but certain to qualify for the November ballot. The Idahoans for Open Primaries coalition exceeded 90,000 signatures for its "Final Four" elections initiative days before the May 1 deadline.

'Final Four' Primary Initiative in Idaho Set for Ballot Approval

Can an independent problem solver break through the partisan narrative and structure of the nation's elections and politics? Mechanic, soldier, and union leader Dan Osborn is running for US Senate in Nebraska with that goal in mind. 

Meet the Independent Who Is Beating An Incumbent Senator in Nebraska

Editor's Note: This piece <a href="https://middleweightpolitics.substack.com/p/no-labels-and-the-failed-math-of">originally published</a> on Dan Sally's website, Middleweight Politics, and has been republished on IVN with permission from the author. Photo Credit: <a href="https://unsplash.com

Earlier this month, No Labels officially ended its plans to field a bipartisan “Unity Ticket” in the 2024 presidential election. While most campaigns end due to a lack of voter support or funding, No Labels’s campaign suffered the unique problem of lacking a candidate.

No Labels' Failed Presidential Math and Why It Should Focus Its Efforts on Reforming the System Instead

Photo Credit: <a href="https://unsplash.com/@katelynperry">Katelyn Perry / Unsplash</a>

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US voters are largely unhappy with the options the two major parties have given them in the 2024 presidential election. While Hillary Clinton says these voters need to <a hr

US voters are largely unhappy with the options the two major parties have given them in the 2024 presidential election. While Hillary Clinton says these voters need to get over themselves, Pew Research has found that she is talking to most of the country.

Pew: Half of US Voters Would Replace Trump AND Biden on the Ballot If Given Chance

Photo Credit: <a href="https://unsplash.com/@gettyimages">Getty Images / Unsplash</a>

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Pennsylvania held its primary elections Tuesday, which effectively acted as the general election in most cases. However, statewide, over a million voters had to sit on the sid

Pennsylvania held its primary elections Tuesday, which effectively acted as the general election in most cases. However, statewide, over a million voters had to sit on the sidelines because of the state's closed primary rules.

Breaking Down the Numbers: Independent Voter Suppression in Pennsylvania

Photo Credit: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/gageskidmore/">Gage Skidmore / Flickr</a>

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Independent presidential candidate Robert F Kennedy Jr will officially appear on the Hawaii ballot after a ruling Friday blocked an effort by the Democratic Party to

Independent presidential candidate Robert F Kennedy Jr will officially appear on the Hawaii ballot after a ruling Friday blocked an effort by the Democratic Party to disqualify him from ballot access. It marks the first loss by the DNC in its legal strategy to limit voters' choices on the 2024 presidential ballot.

DNC Loses Its First Attempt to Kick RFK Jr Off the Ballot

In a recent episode of The Purple Principle, a podcast that examines democracy and polarization from a nonpartisan lens, former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson said that while he was skeptical of ranked choice voting at first, he now sees it as a meaningful solution to elect candidates with the broadest appeal.

District Attorney President Vern Pierson on LA's Spiraling Gun Violence

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