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