Opening the Ballot: How All Votes Count Iowa Is Fighting for Fairer Voting

In this episode, host Sam sits down with Katie Roth, a longtime Iowa political activist and co-founder of the nonpartisan nonprofit All Votes Count Iowa. Roth explains how Iowa’s current primary rules automatically change an independent voter’s party registration when they request a Republican or Democratic ballot—creating privacy concerns, administrative hassle, and a barrier that discourages many from participating. She shares the organization’s goal of eliminating that requirement so more Iowans can vote in primaries without being forced into a party label, while also touching on ranked-choice voting, the power of primary elections, the challenges of civic engagement, and practical ways everyday people can get involved. Listeners will hear why small, fairness-focused reforms matter and how to support the effort at https://allvotescountiowa.org- To find all my deals, visit: https://mydeals.page/7fu7 - Want to be a guest on Shades of Jade Podcast? Send Samantha Jade Wooldrik a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/shadesofjadepod - Music: Mozart Horn Concerto No. 4, K. 495 – III. Rondo: Allegro vivace, performed by Dennis Brain (public domain recording from Archive.org)