Paul Rieckhoff walks his kids to their public school on primary day in New York City — and has to explain to his seven-year-old why Dad, an Iraq veteran and 9/11 first responder, isn't allowed to vote. That's the story behind the Let Vets Vote lawsuit, and in this crossover special with the Independent Voter Podcast from IVN.US, Paul sits down with Chad and Sean to lay out the full strategy. One million veterans in New York City locked out. Sixteen fully closed primary states. Public resources funding private party elections where the real winners are chosen before November even arrives. The players, as Paul puts it, are also serving as the referee — and it's time to end it.
This conversation covers the ground game and the air game: the legal fight building toward the Supreme Court, the structural case for open primaries, and the political reality of a system where the DSA on the left and MAGA on the right both benefit from low-turnout closed contests. Paul connects the dots from the GI Bill fight and burn pits advocacy to this moment — the same playbook of forcing a public reckoning on an issue the political class wants to kill quietly in a back room. If you've ever wondered why your representatives don't sound like anyone you actually know, this is the episode. Forty-five percent of Americans are independent. Sixty percent of young people. More than half of veterans. The market is speaking. Now the courts have to listen.
-WATCH full video of this episode here.
-Check out the important work happening at Independent Voter News at IVN.us.
-Track the IVA candidates on our poll tracker.
-Let Vets Vote: Millions of American veterans are being locked out of primary elections in the country they served. See what we’re doing to change that.
-Visit Kalshi and trade on anything. Use code INDEPENDENT to get $25 when you trade $25.
-Head to cozyearth.com and use the code AMERICANS for an exclusive 20% off.
-Join Noble Mobile today and get a $100 bonus when you use code PAUL and stay a member for 2 months!
-Learn more about American Veterans for Ukraine here.
-Learn more about The Headstrong Project for Veterans, Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), and Department of Veterans Affairs resources in your area. Seeking support is not a sign of weakness. It’s a show of strength. If you or a loved one are in immediate crisis, dial 988 and press 1, or text 838255.
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