Independent Voter Podcast

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. The hosts dig into open primaries + ranked-choice, ICE/immigration and civil liberties, voter ID and ballot security, and the controversy over seized Fulton County ballots—plus a quick update on Attack of the Killer Tomatoes and the USS Midway’s Freedom Park.

Listen to more episodes and join the conversation at IVN.us and olasmedia.com

Chapters:

00:00:00 – Welcome to the Independent Voter Podcast
00:00:45 – Introducing Steve Peace and his role in California reform
00:02:00 – California’s wide-open governor’s race and early contenders
00:07:00 – Open primaries, party power, and why campaigns haven’t adapted
00:16:00 – Ranked choice voting and reform incentives
00:23:45 – ICE, immigration enforcement, and political overreach
00:31:10 – Voter ID, mail ballots, and election trust
00:44:10 – Federal seizure of ballots and election integrity debates
00:52:00 – Fear-driven fundraising and partisan narratives
01:02:30 – Attack of the Killer Tomatoes and closing reflections

Support the show: https://ivn.us/podcasts/

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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 what it means for trust and access in elections.

Listen to more episodes and join the conversation at IVN.us and olasmedia.com

Chapters:

00:00:00 – Welcome Back and What’s Ahead
00:02:00 – Does the Constitution Apply to Everyone on U.S. Soil?
00:05:00 – ICE, Warrants, and Dangerous Precedents
00:07:30 – When Extremes Replace Nuance in Immigration Enforcement
00:08:25 – Oklahoma’s Fight to End Taxpayer-Funded Closed Primaries
00:13:50 – FCC, Equal Time Rules, and Leaving Independents Out
00:19:15 – Why Congress Still Won’t Ban Stock Trading
00:23:20 – Voter ID as an 80/20 Issue That Gets Weaponized
00:26:00 – California’s Governor Race and the Independent Lane
00:28:40 – Gerrymandering, Forced Party Registration, and the Way Forward

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Political strategist and writer Gregory Graf joins the Independent Voter Podcast to break down Idaho’s semi-closed primaries, rising outside PAC money, and the growing split inside the GOP. Drawing on his reporting and analysis at Political Potatoes (https://politicalpotatoes.substack.com/) the hosts explore why open/nonpartisan primaries (and where ranked-choice fits) could change incentives - and how “aggressive civility” might lower the political temperature. 

Listen to more episodes and join the conversation at IVN.us and olasmedia.com

Chapters:

00:00:00 – Why Idaho Politics Matter More Than You Think

00:02:20 – California Transplants and the Myth of “Turning Idaho Blue”

00:04:00 – How Closed Primaries Changed Idaho Elections

00:05:45 – Campaign Finance Caps, PAC Money, and Political Machines

00:07:10 – Independents as Idaho’s Second Largest Voting Bloc

00:08:45 – Budget Battles, School Choice, and Republican Infighting

00:11:15 – Ranked Choice Voting, Open Primaries, and Party Power

00:14:55 – How Party Establishments Block Reform Nationwide

00:18:30 – Political Hypocrisy, Threats, and the Cost of Speaking Out

00:25:00 – Aggressive Civility and Lowering the Temperature in Politics

Support the show: https://ivn.us/podcasts/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 naturalization ceremonies.

Listen to more episodes and join the conversation at IVN.us and olasmedia.com

Chapters:

00:00:00 – Why the ICE debate has exploded again

00:05:00 – Viral outrage, conflicting narratives, and selective facts

00:09:00 – What independent voters actually think about ICE

00:13:00 – Dangerous criminals vs. people following the rules

00:17:00 – Gerrymandering, Newsom, and bipartisan power games

00:22:00 – Trump, bravado politics, and market volatility

00:25:00 – Closed primaries and the myth of crossover sabotage

00:31:00 – Oregon, ballot language, and voter exclusion

00:36:00 – What it really means to be an independent voter

Support the show: https://ivn.us/podcasts/

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Ever wonder why independent voters keep getting sidelined, even as their numbers grow? IVP just conducted the largest-ever survey of California independent voters. Hosts Cara McCormick and Chad Peace break down what NPP voters are really demanding, why insiders fight to keep them on the margins, and how battles over ballot language, gerrymandering, and open primaries in states like Missouri, Nevada, West Virginia, and Alaska could reshape elections nationwide. We’re back each week digging into stories like this.

Read more and follow along at IVN.us.

Chapters:

00:00:00 – Welcome to the Independent Voter Podcast
00:01:16 – Inside the California NPP Poll and What It Reveals
00:03:05 – Missouri Ballot Language and Gerrymandering Games
00:07:44 – How Parties Manipulate Ballot Questions
00:10:44 – West Virginia Closes Its Primaries and Joe Manchin Responds
00:14:15 – Alaska, Ranked Choice Voting, and Senate Politics
00:18:06 – Independents Reach Record Highs Nationwide
00:24:30 – Nevada’s Push to Enshrine Equal Voting Rights
00:28:38 – Santa Clara’s Costly Runoff Election Problem
00:30:38 – What Comes Next for Independent Voters

Support the show: https://ivn.us/podcasts/

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Wondering how a major political figure walks away from power, and what that says about the system behind the scenes?

This episode unpacks Tim Walz’s decision to step aside in Minnesota and how allegations around daycare funding brought to light by YouTuber Nick Shirley have cracked open a wide-open governor’s race. You’ll see how partisan spin quickly takes over moments like this, and why independent thinking matters when facts, accusations, and political incentives collide. Hosts Chad Peace and Cara McCormick break it down with real-world context, including what an open seat could mean for a Jesse Ventura-style independent run. We drop new episodes each week. You can read more and follow along at IVN.us.

Chapters:

00:00:00 – Welcome to 2026 and the Return of Independent Voter

00:05:00 – Tim Walz Steps Aside and Minnesota’s Open Governor Race

00:07:30 – Could an Independent Win Again Like Jesse Ventura?

00:09:45 – The Minnesota Fraud Allegations and Oversight Failures

00:12:30 – When Scandals Become Wedge Politics

00:13:55 – Venezuela, Maduro, and the Politics of Intervention

00:20:35 – What Slips Through While the News Is Distracted

00:21:35 – The USPS Postmark Change That Affects Voting and Taxes

00:29:40 – California’s Voter ID Initiative and Ballot Language Games

00:44:05 – Alaska, Ranked Choice Voting, and the Fight Over Power

Support the show: https://ivn.us/podcasts/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prop 50 is redrawing California’s political battlefield, sparking new fears of gerrymandering, backroom mapmaking, and voters losing their voice. We cut through the spin to explain what’s really changing, who benefits, and what it could mean for competitive elections, election reform, and independent voters. Plus, Independent CA-40 candidate Nina Linh joins us to spell out how Prop 50’s map shifts are already reshaping her district - and her race.

Listen to more episodes and join the conversation at IVN.us 

Chapters:

00:00:00 – When Voters Decide and Politicians Push Back

00:01:13 – Missouri’s Gerrymandering Fight and Citizen Power

00:03:20 – The Games States Play to Block Reform

00:06:12 – Maine’s Ranked Choice Battle: A Warning Story

00:09:21 – Why Both Parties Fear Competition

00:11:16 – Inside the Largest Independent Voter Survey Ever

00:12:56 – Cannabis, Fox News, and the Regulation Irony

00:16:26 – Meet Nina Linh: From Democrat to Independent Candidate

00:21:43 – Affordability, Trust, and Why Voters Are Exhausted

00:27:48 – Gerrymandering, Voter ID, and What Comes Next

 

Support the show: https://ivn.us/podcasts/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Host Chad Peace and co-host Cara McCormick dive into the left’s political freak-out over Trump potentially rescheduling cannabis — and what it exposes about a system that weaponizes even 80/20 issues. With guest Adam Swart of Crowds on Demand, they go from weed reform to immigration to gerrymandering asking: Can independents help drag politics back to common sense solutions?

Listen to more episodes and join the conversation at IVN.us and olasmedia.com

Chapters:
00:00:00 – This Week’s Viral IVN Stories
00:01:20 – Trump and the Reclassification Shockwave
00:03:07 – When Politics Becomes Credit-Claiming
00:05:06 – Immigration, Extremes, and the Reality Most Americans Agree On
00:08:11 – Why Our Election System Fuels Division
00:10:15 – The Gerrymandering Bill Everyone Supported
00:13:30 – Why Good Ideas Don’t Win in Today’s Politics
00:15:39 – Trust, Representation, and What Voters Actually Want
00:21:33 – Meet Adam Swart: Inside the Business of Paid Protests
00:30:11 – Protest, Legitimacy, and Who Gets a Voice
00:40:58 – Takeaways and What’s Coming Next

Support the show: https://ivn.us/podcasts/

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Pro-democracy activists don’t just need to win reforms at the ballot box; they have to stay in the battle to keep their initiatives from being torn apart the morning after. On this week’s Independent Voter Podcast, Chad Peace and Cara McCormick lament the quiet persistence of partisan political sabotage: the delays, rewrites, and procedural tricks that greet any changes to the status quo, even when voters overwhelmingly approve.

For anyone wondering why popular reforms like RCV and Open Primaries are so hard to pass and protect, this episode offers at least one answer: power never yields without sustained resistance, so reformers survive by comparing notes, learning from one another, and sticking together.

Listen to more episodes and join the conversation at IVN.us and olasmedia.com

Chapters:

00:00:00 – Kicking Off: What Journalists Keep Missing

00:00:32 – Snowstorms, San Diego Dreams & Reform Roots

00:03:40 – The Reform Playbook Only Insiders Know

00:06:13 – D.C.’s Top-Five Win… and the Political Bait-and-Switch

00:10:24 – Why Every Reform Fight Starts to Look the Same

00:11:06 – Inside D.C.’s Battle to Delay Ranked Choice Voting

00:14:23 – Power Players Will Always Use Every Tool They Can

00:17:14 – Exposing the Firms Profiting Off Disabled Veterans

00:22:11 – Who Actually Helps Veterans — and Who Pretends To

00:24:17 – Holidays, Kids, and a Warm Wrap to the Episod

Support the show: https://ivn.us/podcasts/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of the Independent Voter Podcast, Chad and Cara dive into the exploding world of political prediction markets with special guest Chris Gerlacher of Prediction News—unpacking how platforms like Kalshi and crypto-based markets are reshaping how insiders gauge races from California governor to New York City mayor. Chad and Cara also highlight Shawn Griffiths’ latest election reform roundup at ivn.us, covering new signature drives in Oregon, Nevada, and Oklahoma to end taxpayer-funded closed primaries and expand rights for independent voters, as well as the gritty reality of signature gathering and ballot access. Plus, Cara breaks down a Politico gerrymandering poll that ignores independent voters and shares how unlikely allies—from Democrats to MAGA Republicans—can find common ground on fixing the system, even in a hyper-polarized era.

Listen to more episodes and join the conversation at IVN.us and olasmedia.com

00:00:00 - Welcome Back & IVP Updates

00:01:29 - Introducing Chris Gerlacher & Prediction Markets

00:03:34 - How Prediction Markets Outperform Polls

00:04:14 - California Governor Odds: Swalwell, Porter, Steyer

00:06:21 - How Political Trading Works

00:09:32 - Gambling Concerns, Safeguards & Forecasting Value

00:13:27 - When Candidates Bet on Themselves

00:19:19 - Independent Voter Growth & State Reform Movements

00:32:14 - Signature Gathering, Costs & Citizen Power

00:43:18 - Cross-Ideology Dialogue & Closing Reflections

 

Support the show: https://ivn.us/podcasts/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.