CUIP is motivating, training and supporting an activist network of independent leaders who are building throughout the country.
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AL, Independent Alabama
AZ, Pima Independent Voters & Pinal County Independent Voters
CA, IndependentVoice.Org
CO, Independent Voters for Colorado
CT, Connecticut for Lieberman
CT, Independent Party
DC, District of Columbia Independents for Citizen Control
FL, Sunshine Independents
GA, Georgia Committee of Independent Voters
GA, iMove
IA, Independent Voters of Iowa
ID, America Independent Movement
IL, United Independents of Illinois
KY, Independent Kentucky
MA, Massachusetts Coalition of Independent Voters
MD, Free State Independents
ME, Committee for an Independent Voice
NC, Greater Hickory Metro Independent Committee
NC, Independents for Change
NJ, Committee for an Independent New Jersey
NV, Nevada Independents
NY, Independence Party
OH, Independent Voters Alliance (OHIVA)
OR, Committee for an Independent Voice
PA, Independent Pennsylvanians
SC, Independence Party of South Carolina
SD, South Dakota Voice of Independents
TN, Independent Tennessee
TX, Independent Texans
UT, Utah League of Independent Voters
WI, Wisconsin Group for an Independent Voice (WiGiv)
National Conference Call for Independents. Every six weeks, CUIP president Jacqueline Salit hosts America's largest ongoing national call for independents. She provides updates about what independents are doing around the country and how the movement is growing. Get connected, hear updates. Next call:Tuesday, August 17
Title:After California and Before the Midterms: If Independents Hold the Key, What Door Do We Want to Unlock?
Independentvoting.org has been approached by numerous candidates asking for support. As a non-profit, we do not endorse candidates. However, we can post information about candidates who support the independent movement. We've put together a series of questionnaires that outline issues important to independents. If you are a candidate, you can download the questionnaires and candidates pledge here.
Georgia Independent Voters (GIV) are screening candidates for the upcoming gubernatorial election to see who most supports the concerns of independent voters. Georgia is a non-partisan voter registration state, so independents can vote in the primary.
Mary Rose Asher, Chair of the Green Party of Washington State endorses Proposition 14, the "top-two" initiative on the ballot in the June 8 California Primary which would allow 3.4 million "Decline to State" voters the opportunity to participate in every level of the state election process. Read her letter here.
Florida Sunshine Independents (FSI) kicked off its campaign for Open Primaries. FSI founders Linda Ricke of Monticello, Reynaldo Guttierez of Jacksonville. and Sylvester Smith of Longwood are asking independents to sign a petition in support of open primaries. Download the petition and open primaries flyer or to sign the petition online, click here. For more information about Florida Sunshine Independents, contact: sunshineindependents@gmail.com
Newly independent elected officials go to work for political reform. Joelle Riddle (top left), a County Commissioner in La Plata, Colorado, decided that she could serve her constituents most effectively as an independent. So the former Democrat changed her registration - only to find that she couldn't run again as an independent because state law requires that would-be candidates who re-register must have done so 18 months in advance of the election in which they want to run. The parties can waive the requirement for any new registrant who seeks access to the ballot, but indies are subject to it. Riddle filed a lawsuit challenging the law; she also turned to State Representative Kathleen Curry (bottom left), then the Speaker Pro Tem of the House, asking her to sponsor legislation that would level the playing field. Curry realized that she was an independent at heart and re-registered as an indy too! CUIP and Riddle, now the founder of Independent Voters
for Colorado (IVC) have filed a joint amicus brief in support of State Curry’s appeal which seeks relief from discriminatory deadlines imposed on
independent candidates. See press release announcing the filing of the amicus brief.
Independent Kentucky continues the fight for open primaries and political reform. In 2008, Independent Kentucky activists impressed state legislators by collecting 80 signatures in a few days on a petition supporting the open primaries legislation sponsored by then state representative Jimmy Higdon. Click here for an account in the Frankfort Journal. In 2009, IK again rallied indies - this time to vote for Higdon in a special election for the state senate; he won the race, and early in January of 2010 promptly re-introduced his open primaries bill in the senate where it passed. While the bill did not pass in the House, Michael Lewis decided to run against the 19-year incumbent assemblyman who has not had competition since 2002. When asked what his platform was, Lewis said "in addition to open primaries and such, we're gonna give these guys some competition and make them get out there and say what they stand for." Hear Lewis on WKJK 1080 being interviewed about Independent Kentucky and the road to open primaries. And check out Independent Kentucky's website.
Independents enlist the speaker pro tem of AL House of Representatives in the campaign for an independent on the FEC. At the request of Bob Friedman (on right), the founder and chair of the Alabama Independent Movement (AIM), Representative Demetrius Newton (center), the speaker pro tem of the Alabama House of Representatives, sent a letter to President Obama in which he wrote: "I believe that the time has come to appoint one or more independents to the Federal Election Commission. I hope that you will do so."
Idaho Independents Fight to Keep Primaries Open. Mitch Campbell, founder of the American Independent Movement of Idaho, is the initiator of a legal action on behalf of independent voters in his state whose ability to vote in open primaries has been threatened by a Republican Party lawsuit seeking to force the state of Idaho to close its primaries and institute partisan voter registration. Read more
Independent Pennslyvanians. Rep. Eugene DePasquale's [D-York] press release announcing legislation in support of open primaries makes note of Independent Pennsylvanians' role in building momentum for the issue. DePasquale, the sponsor of the open primaries bill, plans on reintroducing the bill in January. In the meantime, Independent Pennsylvanians have hit the pavements and gathered 2,000 signatures on a petition. For more information on Indpependent Pennsylvania or to sign the petition, go to Independent Pennsylvania
More than half of Utah voters (51.5%) consider themselves independent. To give voice to their concerns, the Utah League of Independent Voters (ULIV) has set up a website and is participating in a redistricting initiative sponsored by Fair Boundaries. One hundred and ten thousand signatures are required to get the initiative on the ballot. Randy Miller leads the group.
In open primaries fight, one down and one to go. Kim Wright, the founder and chair of South Dakota Voice of Independents, has been working tirelessly for open primaries in a state where the legislature leaves it up to the parties to decide whether to welcome independents or keep them out. In October of last year, the Democratic Party voted to open its primaries to independents beginning in 2011. Click here to read "Finally, a seat at the table" in the Rapid City Journal. Wright called upon the Republican Party to follow suit, but the GOP let the 12/31 deadline pass without changing its closed-door policy. Read Wright's letter to the editor in the Rapid City Journal. Read more
Independent Wayne Griffin wins re-election to the Greer City Council in landslide. Pictured left: Ayana, Wayne, Ronald, Reggie and Butch Griffin (standing) celebrate the results of the election. Wayne Griffin beat out Gary Cain 352 to 45 votes in the District 2 race.
Independents at Claim Democracy Conference. Harry Kresky (pictured on right with US Term Limits and Initiative & Referendum champion Paul Jacob) led a workshop on the subject of fusion-voting and the Independence Party experience in NY at a conference on political reform sponsored by FairVote and 60 other organizations. Read more.
Oregon Open Primary Initiative Relaunches for 2008. Opening up partisan primaries to independent voters is a litmus test issue on the political reform front and now Phil Keisling, a former Oregon Secretary of State, is planning an effort to put an open primary initiative on the ballot in November 2008. Read more.
2007 National Conference of Independents. Hosted by CUIP political director Jackie Salit, 500 independents from 31 states gathered in New York City for a day long event featuring an in-depth look at how independents can increase visibility and influence in the political process.
