Guest:

Chad Peace, Co-Founder – Independent Voter Network

Guest Bio:

Chad Peace is an election reform advocate and representative of the Independent Voter Project, an organization focused on expanding voter participation and reducing partisan control over the primary process. He has been deeply involved in California’s transition from closed primaries to the current top-two open primary system, and continues to advocate for structural reforms that empower independent voters and increase electoral competition.

Show Summary

Nearly half of voters nationwide now identify as independent. In California, No Party Preference voters are the fastest-growing bloc. So why does the political system still revolve around partisan extremes?

In this episode of State of Gold, Jon Slavet sits down with Chad Peace to unpack the rise of independent voters, the origins of California’s top-two open primary system, and the unintended consequences that followed.

They explore whether the “jungle primary” has improved democracy, why both parties often resist reform, and what a top-five ranked-choice primary system could look like in California. The conversation also dives into voter ID, ballot harvesting, election confidence, and the broader debate over how to restore trust in the electoral process.

From redistricting battles to Supreme Court strategy, this is a candid discussion about who gets to participate in elections and whether California is living up to its democratic ideals.

Chapters

00:03 – The Rise of Independent Voters

01:17 – Why Both Parties Are Moving to the Extremes

01:33 – The Origins of California’s Open Primary

02:47 – Has the Top-Two System Improved Democracy?

05:06 – The Unintended Consequences of the Current System

07:50 – Top-Five Primaries & Ranked Choice Voting Explained

09:08 – Redistricting, Prop 50 & Partisan Power Plays

12:04 – The Supreme Court & The Right to Vote in Primaries

12:38 – Voter ID: A 70/30 Issue

15:43 – Mail-In Voting, Ballot Harvesting & Election Confidence

17:50 – Politics, Culture & Attack of the Killer Tomatoes

19:21 – Rapid Fire: One Reform to Fix California

19:39 – What Gives Him Hope

20:18 – California Is…

Connect with Chad Peace

Twitter: https://x.com/ChadPeace
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chadpeace/

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