The 2024 elections broke another spending record from independent political groups. Yet, amidst billions being used to influence voter decisions, Maine citizens voted to rein in this spending on Election Day.

Election Day was mostly a rough night for election reformers across the board, from primary reform to new voting methods to gerrymandering. However, it would be a mistake to suggest that this means voters are okay with the status quo.

Former presidential candidate and Forward Party Founder Andrew Yang says that if Democratic leaders are looking for someone to blame for their 2024 loss, they need to take a hard look in the mirror.

Exit polling from Edison Research shows that self-identified independents made up a larger share of the 2024 vote -- but with independent ID reaching a majority of the electorate, this bloc has yet to fully make its presence felt in presidential elections.

In October 2012, I published an op-ed in the Huffington Post asking, “Do Presidential Elections Really Matter?” In May 2023 I wrote a similar column in The Fulcrum asking the question once again.

Voters across the US had a chance to change the political landscape in the country forever. In 2024, however, the two major parties were mostly successful at stopping reform to the electoral status quo.

The first victory for election reform Tuesday happened in Washington, DC, where voters passed Initiative 83 to open primaries to independent voters and implement ranked choice voting.

Colorado is used to being a trailblazer in election reform, from vote-by-mail to independent redistricting. However, state voters passed on an opportunity to give voters more choice in taxpayer-funded elections in 2024. 

Much can be said about the 2024 presidential election cycle. Most universal is the sentiment that we should never do this again.

One of the biggest concerns in the 2024 election cycle is the spread of misinformation -- particularly when it comes to claims made about the administration of elections and who is voting.