Elections should serve all voters, not just the parties.
The Independent Voter Project is a nonpartisan 501(c)(4) organization dedicated to re-engaging voters and promoting election reform through initiatives, litigation, and voter education.
What We Stand For
IVP seeks to re-engage nonpartisan voters and promote nonpartisan election reform. We use a three-pronged approach: inform everyday voters, engage policy leaders, and reform elections — through initiatives, litigation, and voter education.
Equal participation
Every voter, regardless of party, deserves an equally meaningful vote in every election.
Challenge the gatekeepers
We challenge institutional rules that insulate major parties from competition.
Public elections, public interest
Taxpayer-funded elections should serve the public — not private political parties.
Our Guiding Values
Remain steadfastly nonpartisan and nonideological
Support policies that balance populist sentiment with practical public policy
Be straightforward and transparent about who we are and what we stand for
Be willing to be wrong and to correct mistakes openly
We authored California's nonpartisan Top-Two primary.
Proposition 14, passed by voters in 2010, transformed California elections. All candidates appear on one ballot. All voters participate. The top two advance — regardless of party.
Our Board
IVP was founded by former elected officials and public policy professionals who saw the increasing level of partisanship in California and vowed to stop it. All board members serve as volunteers.
Dan Howle
Chairman & Executive Director
An East Coast native and University of Massachusetts graduate, Dan retired after 16 years as Director of State Government Relations for Eli Lilly and Company. He co-founded IVP in 2006 and serves on the boards of the CA Governor's Cup Foundation, FIVE, and the National Association of Nonpartisan Reformers.
Mario Munoz
Board Member
Born and raised in South Texas, Mario is a 1985 graduate of the University of Texas at Austin with a BA in Sociology. A legislative consultant for over 25 years in Texas, Mario brings deep knowledge of the legislative process and bipartisan policy development.
Laiza Negrete
Board Member
VP of Political Affairs for the California Association of REALTORS®, representing over 200,000 members. In 2010, Laiza served as an advocate to open primary elections to nonpartisan voters with the Independence Party of New York.
Glen Stailey
Board Member
Elected Statewide President of the California Correctional Peace Officers Association, Glen represented thousands of correctional professionals across California, championing workplace safety, officer rights, and public accountability. A CDCR veteran, he brought decades of front-line leadership to the state's highest level of corrections policy.
Our Advisors
Leaders from across the political spectrum who bring decades of experience in law, policy, communications, and reform to guide our strategy.
Chad Peace
Legal Advisor
A nationally recognized leader in election law and voter rights. Partner at Peace & Shea LLP and legal strategist for IVP. Authored San Diego's Measure K (2016) and two amicus briefs supporting Level the Playing Field v. FEC.
Shaudi Fulp
Senior Advisor
Has worked within diverse coalitions spanning labor, business, good governance, and civil rights groups to increase ballot access and reform political spending laws across party lines.
Katherine Gehl
National Reform Advisor
Co-Chair of the National Association of Nonpartisan Reformers and author of the groundbreaking report "Why Competition in the Politics Industry is Failing America."
Cara McCormick
Ranked Choice Voting Advisor
Co-founder of The Committee for Ranked Choice Voting — the historic initiative that made Maine the first state to adopt RCV for state and federal elections. CEO of The Chamberlain Project.
Jackie Salit
Reform Advisor
President of IndependentVoting.org, the country's leading strategy and organizing center for independents, with chapters in 40 states. Since 2005, she has hosted a bi-annual national conference for independents.
The IVP Ecosystem
IVP operates alongside two related entities to inform voters, educate the public, and drive reform.
Independent Voter News
An award-winning, open-source news platform providing unfiltered political news and policy analysis from across the political spectrum. Co-published by IVP and FIVE, IVN actively encourages readers of differing political tendencies to engage in constructive dialogue.
ivn.us ↗Foundation for Independent Voter Education
IVP's sister organization focused on voter education. As a co-publisher of IVN.us and founding member of the National Association of Nonpartisan Reformers, FIVE educates voters about election processes and facilitates reform discussions nationwide.
independentvoterfoundation.org ↗Contact Us
Have a question or want to get involved? We'd love to hear from you.