On March 14, Jackie Salit will be hosting IndependentVoting.org's eighth National Conference of Independents in New York City. We want to personally invite you to join us at this important gathering of independents from across the country.  The conference will showcase our growth and is an opportunity to strategize and reflect on our movement.

Please register today and join us on Saturday, March 14! 

The independent movement continues to grow -- 42% of Americans consider themselves independent.  IndependentVoting is at the heart of the growing network of independents who are becoming organized so that we can reshape our political culture.  Over the last two years, our networks have participated in initiatives like the Voting Rights Are Primary campaign to raise our visibility, connect with fellow independents and press the need for structural reforms. Hundreds of articles and editorials have appeared as a result, all underscoring the problematic primary election process and the exclusion of independents.

You may know that U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer of New York recently wrote a persuasive editorial in the New York Times in which he declared his support for a national movement for top two nonpartisan primaries.  Congressman John Delaney of Maryland has introduced the "Open Our Democracy Act" calling for a trifecta of reforms - top two, making Election Day a federal holiday, and the creation of a commission to evaluate national standards for nonpartisan redistricting. John Arnold, a billionaire philanthropist from Houston, Texas has partnered with IndependentVoting.org's former Director of Development John Opdycke to fund a new organization, Open Primaries, focused on primary election reform. Several third parties supported ballot measure 90 in Oregon this year, breaking from what has been a tradition of third party opposition to open primaries.  Although the measure was defeated, the campaign broadened the array of supporters and planted seeds for a new kind of coalition.

In a recent teleconference on the topic of bipartisanship sponsored by Peter Leyton, the founder and CEO of Reinventors, Jackie Salit, the president of IndependentVoting.org, remarked: I believe many people are having the experience that there is no way to give expression to the basic values of love, empathy and compassion through our current political system. That's very painful at an emotional and moral level."  

The conference is for all those who want to create a political system that reflects our values. It's been our privilege to partner with you and so many others around the country on this important work. 

Some Conference Details

The conference will be held at the state-of-the-art NYU Skirball Center for the Performing Arts in lower Manhattan.  The conference is free. All you have to do is register online and get to New York.

Over 500 participants will attend as we put our story on stage and invite the press and the country to take a look. Over the course of the day-long event, we'll shine a spotlight on who we are -- ordinary American people from every walk of life, with a wide spectrum of beliefs and concerns, bound together by our passion to develop our democracy.

At the conference you will hear from leaders of the political reform and independent movement from every part of the U.S. There will be multimedia presentations and panels that explore our successes, the battles we have waged, the lessons learned and the road forward.  You'll have an opportunity to network with independents from across the country and learn firsthand what they are doing to build our movement.

Who should come to the Conference of Independents? 

• Independent activists engaged in statewide efforts

• Independent-minded Americans who believe we need to change the culture of politics in this country

• Independent-minded Americans angry at the failures in public policy and frustrated that our voices can't be heard

• Americans who believe we need structural political reforms like open primaries

• Americans who are looking for a place to invest their activism in efforts that can have a real impact

• You!

Please join us in NYC on March 14th!

For more information, give us a call at 800-288-3201 or send us an email at [email protected].

Register for the Conference Today!

Please check out our special event site, a clearinghouse for information on the conference, at http://conferenceofindependents.org.

You can also access the site through IndependentVoting.org's homepage. You'll find registration information, photos and videos from past conferences, and information about the conference itself.   

NYU Skirball Auditorium is a beautiful space, located in an accessible and vibrant section of the city. With its grand stage, plush seats and outlying amphitheater, it is ideally suited to be a gathering place for our movement -- and the starting point for an unforgettable experience!

Visit the "Coming to the Conference" page to view hotel discounts.  If you can't afford a hotel, we have lodging available with fellow New York City independents. To request lodging, complete the form here.

If you need help in figuring out how you're going to come to New York, call us.  You'd be surprised at how affordable the Big Apple can be. (Really!)  Make sure to frequent our conference blog, where you will find "testimonials" from past and current attendees. 

Don't forget to join us on the next national conference call, Tuesday, January 27.  You can register for the call here.  If you have any questions, please be in touch. 

Independently yours,

Nancy Ross                             Gwen Mandell