Independent Voting hosts its ninth National Conference of Independents.

Independent Voting reaches out to supporters of Bernie Sanders who are among the 24 million independents nationally blocked from voting in the first round due to closed primaries. Helps to form New Yorkers for Primary Reform after protests draw national media attention to NY’s closed primary barring 3.4 million independents from voting and backs efforts in Colorado and South Dakota to open the states’ primaries.  CO’s Prop 107 passes with 63.7% of the vote, creating an open presidential primary system that allows all voters to participate, including the 36% of voters in the state who are registered independent.  Prop 108 passes with 52.5% of the vote, leveling the playing field for independents in CO, allowing them to cast ballots in state and local primaries. SD Amendment V for top two primaries receives backing from AARP and League of Women Voters and garners 45% of the vote.

Independent Voters for Arizona formed.

Independent Voting joins the EndPartisanship coalition, files lawsuit with Independent Voter Project (IVP) in NJ federal court challenging state’s election process in which nearly half of voters are barred from voting in primaries because they are independent.  Joins Equal Vote coalition in OR and backs passage of top two primary initiative. Missouri Independents Stand Together (MIST) founded.

Independent Voting pressures Hawaii Democratic Party to withdraw its federal lawsuit attempting to close state’s primaries to independents.  Democrats refuse, IV submits amicus brief. Coalition of Independent Voters of Colorado (“CIVIC”) founded.

Publication of Independents Rising: Outsider Movements, Third Parties, and the Struggle for a Post-Partisan America (Palgrave Macmillan) authored by Jacqueline Salit.  Publishers Weekly calls it “Earnest and informative…Covering both national and regional concerns, the book is strongest when it demystifies the movement itself…[Independents Rising] gives necessary voice to voters who are fed up with partisan politics and desire change.”  Independent Ohio founded.  Efforts to persuade Obama to rebuild the 2008 coalition with independent voters are turned down by Obama re-election campaign leaders.  Mitt Romney wins majority of the independent vote.

U.S. District Judge in South Carolina grants coalition of independents, voter groups and black elected officials organized by Independent Voting, the right to intervene in defense of state’s open primary system.  Groups include the South Carolina Independence Party; the South Carolina Constitution Party; the Progressive Network Education Fund, Inc. the Columbia Tea party, Inc.; and 13 members of the Black Legislative Caucus of South Carolina.  Across state lines, North Carolina Independents founded.

Independent Voting, along with its California affiliate Independent Voice, works in coalition with Lieutenant Governor Abel Maldonado and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger for passage of Prop 14 for top two open primaries.  Measure passes with 54% of the vote and gives state’s 3.4 million independents the right to vote in primaries.  Independent Voters of Nevada founded.

Using the ChIP fusion strategy, Independent Voting mobilizes national networks to support Obama insurgency.  Independents vote in 33 open primary and caucus states, giving Obama edge over Clinton.  Utah League of Independent Voters founded.  Independent Voting wins right to intervene in federal lawsuit brought by the Idaho GOP attempting to close the state’s primary to independents and institute a system of partisan registration while representing eleven independent voters from Twin Falls, Salmon, Filer and Jerome, along with The American Independent Movement of Idaho (AIM).

Independent Voting’s New Hampshire affiliate helps defeat HB 196 which would have denied independents the right to re-claim their independent status at the polls immediately after voting in a statewide primary.