Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Top Stories

Maine joins list of states with open primaries

Maine voters

Starting in 2024, unaffiliated voters in Maine will be able to vote in partisan primaries.

Scott Eisen/Getty Images

Legislation creating semi-open primaries in Maine went into effect Sunday, expanding the list of states that allow unaffiliated voters to participate in nominating contests.

The bill, which was approved by both chambers of the Legislature and allowed to become law by Democratic Gov. Janet Mills without her signature, allows people who are not registered with either party to participate in primary voting beginning in 2024.


As of July 2021, 36 percent of Maine registered voters are independent. Until this bill goes into effect in two years, the current, closed system remains in effect, meaning only voters registered with a party may vote in the primary.

The new system is considered “semi-open” because registered Democrats and Republicans will not be able to vote in the other party’s primaries.

“We are grateful that L.D. 231 has become law, enfranchising hundreds of thousands of independent voters,” said Kaitlin LaCasse, campaign manager for Open Primaries Maine. “The significant bipartisan support for semi-open primaries here in Maine is particularly notable during this time in which many states are considering the rollback of voter rights. It is a good day for democracy!”

Maine will continue to use ranked-choice voting in both its primary and general elections.

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, nine states continue to use closed primaries, in which only voters who belong to a party may participate in that party’s nominating process.

The vast majority of states use some form of open primaries for congressional, state and local elections.

Made with Flourish

There are various forms of open primaries. Some states have systems like Maine’s, where independents can choose in which primary to vote. In a fully open primary, states do not require partisan registration and all voters can vote in the primary of their choice.

Some states go even further. California, Washington and (to an extent) Nebraska, run all candidates in one primary with the top two vote getters advancing to the general election. Alaska does the same but advances the top four finishers. And Louisiana doesn't have a primary. Instead, all candidates run in the general election and if no one gets a majority, the top two face each other in a runoff.

“Independent voters are now the largest group of voters in the country. Letting all voters vote may sound simple, but it’s a profound component of what it will take to improve democracy in Maine and around our great nation,” said Open Primaries Senior Vice President Jeremy Gruber.

Read More

Understanding the Debate on Health Secretary Kennedy’s Vaccine Panelists

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., January 29, 2025 in Washington, DC.

(Photo by Chen Mengtong/China News Service/VCG via Getty Images)

Understanding the Debate on Health Secretary Kennedy’s Vaccine Panelists

Summary

On June 9, 2025, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), dismissed all 17 members of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). Secretary Kennedy claimed the move was necessary to eliminate “conflicts of interest” and restore public trust in vaccines, which he argued had been compromised by the influence of pharmaceutical companies. However, this decision strays from precedent and has drawn significant criticism from medical experts and public health officials across the country. Some argue that this shake-up undermines scientific independence and opens the door to politicized decision-making in vaccine policy.

Background: What Is ACIP?

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) is a federal advisory group that helps guide national vaccine policy. Established in 1964, it has over 60 years of credibility as an evidence-based body of medical and scientific experts. ACIP makes official recommendations on vaccine schedules for both children and adults, determining which immunizations are required for school entry, covered by health insurance, and prioritized in public health programs. The committee is composed of specialists in immunology, epidemiology, pediatrics, infectious disease, and public health, all of whom are vetted for scientific rigor and ethical standards. ACIP’s guidance holds national weight, shaping both public perception of vaccines and the policies of institutions like schools, hospitals, and insurers.

Keep ReadingShow less
MQ-9 Predator Drones Hunt Migrants at the Border
Way into future, RPA Airmen participate in Red Flag 16-2 > Creech ...

MQ-9 Predator Drones Hunt Migrants at the Border

FT HUACHUCA, Ariz. - Inside a windowless and dark shipping container turned into a high-tech surveillance command center, two analysts peered at their own set of six screens that showed data coming in from an MQ-9 Predator B drone. Both were looking for two adults and a child who had crossed the U.S.-Mexico border and had fled when a Border Patrol agent approached in a truck.

Inside the drone hangar on the other side of the Fort Huachuca base sat another former shipping container, this one occupied by a drone pilot and a camera operator who pivoted the drone's camera to scan nine square miles of shrubs and saguaros for the migrants. Like the command center, the onetime shipping container was dark, lit only by the glow of the computer screens.

Keep ReadingShow less
A Trump 2020 flag outside of a home.

As Trump’s second presidency unfolds, rural America—the foundation of his 2024 election win—is feeling the sting. From collapsing export markets to cuts in healthcare and infrastructure, those very voters are losing faith.

Getty Images, ablokhin

Trump’s 2.0 Actions Have Harmed Rural America Who Voted for Him

Daryl Royal, the 20-year University of Texas football coach, once said, “You've gotta dance with them that brung ya.” The modern adaptation of that quote is “you gotta dance with the one who brought you to the party.” The expression means you should remain loyal to the people or things that helped you succeed.

Sixty-three percent of America’s 3,144 counties are predominantly rural, and Donald Trump won 93 percent of those counties in 2024. Analyses show that rural counties have become increasingly solid Republican, and Trump’s margin of victory within rural America reached a new high in the 2024 election.

Keep ReadingShow less
Hands Off Our Elections: States and Congress, Not Presidents, Set the Rules
white concrete dome museum

Hands Off Our Elections: States and Congress, Not Presidents, Set the Rules

Trust in elections is fragile – and once lost, it is extraordinarily difficult to rebuild. While Democrats and Republicans disagree on many election policies, there is broad bipartisan agreement on one point: executive branch interference in elections undermines the constitutional authority of states and Congress to determine how elections are run.

Recent executive branch actions threaten to upend this constitutional balance, and Congress must act before it’s too late. To be clear – this is not just about the current president. Keeping the executive branch out of elections is a crucial safeguard against power grabs by any future president, Democrat or Republican.

Keep ReadingShow less