How Gavin Newsom’s Prop 50 is Reshaping California - For Better or For Worse

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 independe…

Trump, Cannabis & the Progressive Left’s Freakout Over the Marijuana Issue

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 gerrymanderi…

The Games Politicians Play After Voters Pass Election Reforms

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 sab…

Betting on Democracy: Prediction Markets, Polls & the Independent Voter Uprising

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 gov…

Ballrooms, Ballots, and a Three-Way Fight for New York

Is New York about to elect a “communist,” or just a democratic socialist with better ground game?  Cara McCormick and Chad Peace rip into a wild week in politics: the three-way brawl for NYC mayor, California’s ballot language that literally tells you it’ll cost “a few million dollars,” Maine’s vo…

Missouri Voted for Legal Cannabis. Now Gas Station Weed Is Undermining the Whole System

Missouri voters approved legal cannabis twice - first for medical use, then for recreational use in 2022. But as Dave Craig, VP of Marketing for legal cannabis brand From the Earth, explains to host Cara McCormick, an unregulated shadow market is undermining everything voters intended. While legal …

California Democrats and Texas Republicans Keep Copying Each Other

Breakdown: The rules of American democracy continue to bend toward partisan agendas. In California, independent redistricting commissioner J. Ray Kennedy, a Democrat, says the politicians effectively “starved” its independent commission long before the midterm map fights began in Texas. Hosts Chad …

Beyond the Viral Katie Porter Clip: What California’s Governor Race Says About Voter Choice

Hosts Chad Peace and Cara McCormick use the viral Katie Porter clip as a case study in how election rules shape campaigns and coalitions in California. They unpack why the moment struck a nerve, then explain the incentives of the Top Two primary and what a Final Five model - with an open top-five p…

Eric Bronner and 7,000 Veterans for All Voters Lead a National Oath Challenge

If you are into independent politics and don’t know Eric Bronner, you should. A former veteran, Eric Bronner is one of the 60% of veterans that don’t belong to either major political party. Eric jumped into the nonpartisan reform movement 5 years ago after listening to a podcast on Freakonomics wi…

Divided Realities, Broken Systems: Can We Heal American Democracy?

The assassination of Charlie Kirk shocked the nation and exposed just how divided our political realities have become. In this episode, Chad Peace and Cara McCormick reflect on the tragedy, the need for unity, and what history teaches us about coming together after moments of crisis. They also del…