IVP Helps Launch National​ ​Reformers​ ​Association​ ​To​ ​Challenge​ ​Two-Party Duopoly

Group of leading nonpartisan reformers to share resources, establish common objectives, and provide more choice to voters and better representation to every citizen of the United States regardless of their party affiliation or non-affiliation.

DENVER, CO, January 22, 2018 (Newswire.com) - The National Association of Nonpartisan Reformers (NANR) announced its formation today, bringing together TEN leading national nonpartisan reform organizations and individuals dedicated to advancing reforms that increase voter participation, electoral competition, and accountability in our political system.

The Independent Voter Project, founded in 2006, is excited to be part of this important Association and to continue to educate voters that a healthy, robust democracy functions best when the most voters participate. IVP has authored successful statewide and local reform initiatives, including California’s top-two nonpartisan primary and recently, San Diego’s Measure K. IVP is also leading a national legal strategy to defend the rights of nonpartisan voters. Dan Howle, co-Chair of IVP, will sit on the Board as a Founding Director.

Other notable founding members include representatives from the Bridge Alliance, the Chamberlain Project, FairVote, Open Primaries, the Centrist Project, California Forward, and Let Colorado Vote. Katherine Gehl and Michael Porter, co-authors of the widely praised research study, Why Competition in the Politics Industry is Failing America published by the Harvard Business School, will serve as Honorary Co-Chairs of the Association.

Because the Democratic and Republican parties have created institutional barriers to insulate themselves from these reforms, NANR was formed to facilitate the creation of a sustainable national infrastructure to support efforts that create a more equal playing field for all voters, candidates, and officeholders, regardless of party affiliation or non-affiliation. NANR will bring credibility, awareness and national media focus to state, local and national reform efforts. - National Association of Nonpartisan Reformers

Other association members have led successful statewide election reforms —  including open primaries in Colorado and Ranked Choice Voting in Maine — and they can provide a trusted network of experienced political advisers, vendors, attorneys, academics, and other experts to similar reform efforts across the country.

From the NANR preamble: “We further recognize that the remedy to our unrepresentative and unresponsive government is to credibly challenge the institutionalized advantages that transfer control of the electoral process from the people to the leadership of the Democratic and Republican parties, and we resolve to mount that challenge.”

The Association is headquartered in Denver, Colorado.