What "Non-Partisan" Means for Indivisible Chico

It seems important to go on the record. For us at Indivisible Chico, being "non-partisan" means operating without official alignment, affiliation, or bias toward any specific political party.

It's a way of saying, "Our loyalty is to the principles of democracy, not to the Democratic, Republican, or any other party."

Many of our members are registered Democrats, others are Independent, and some are former Republicans who were, essentially, left behind by the modern GOP. All of us are welcoming to each other and supporting our organization in the hope of supporting our community. 

We have enough shared experiences in our geographical and cultural backgrounds that, whether blue or red or purple, we recognize each other's humanity, validity, and importance to our country. Our neighborhoods may be small pieces, our families may be from all over, but the fact remains that every single one of us has made an impact on the world, whether we know what that is or not. And within the mission of Indivisible Chico, we are trying to encourage everyone in Chico and Butte County and CA District 1 to do more of whatever that thing is that serves those impacts.

In a very red district, we strive to be non-partisan by intentional choice, so we can be inclusive of people who might otherwise feel they don't have a voice. 

What Non-Partisan Means in Practice

The term “non-partisan” is generally defined by what a group focuses on and what it avoids. We focus on uplifting voices, and we try to avoid punching down.

Focus on Process, Not People

A non-partisan group like Indivisible Chico focuses on how democracy works, rather than who is currently in power.

• Non-Partisan Actions: Fighting for fair voting maps (gerrymandering), expanding voter registration, protecting freedom of speech, and ensuring governmental transparency.

• Partisan Actions: Campaigning for the election of a specific party's candidate, raising funds specifically for a party committee, or promoting a party platform.

We have chosen to take an anti-gerrymandering stance and taken steps to educate people on what gerrymandering is and how it affects us all. Gerrymandering is anti-democratic and has negatively impacted Chico, specifically at the local and state and federal levels, and has not served District 1 very well overall, either. There is a difference between gerrymandering, and a legally elected policy, such as prop 50.

Loyalty to Principles

We have, as a group, placed our commitment to constitutional principles and democratic norms above all else. As a pro-democracy movement, this means our mission remains the same regardless of which political party is controlling the local or national government. 

• If a Democratic official tries to suppress voter access, a non-partisan group will protest.

• If a Republican official promotes a fair elections bill, a non-partisan group will support it.

We are here now and intend to still be here in 4 years under a different administration, even if it means we are speaking up against or in favor of an actually popular candidate. The point is to encourage Americans to utilize our rights and to keep making noise, to let the people in power know we are still watching. 

Why It's Powerful for Civic Action

Operating as non-partisan is strategically powerful for groups like Indivisible Chico because it allows us to:

• Build Broader Coalitions: We welcome members and volunteers from different political backgrounds who agree on the importance of free and fair elections and constitutional protections, even if they disagree on economic policy. Those beliefs we share are stronger than those we may disagree on.

• Maintain Credibility: For instance, we critique practices like misinformation and authoritarian rhetoric, because they are wrong-headed and defy logic. They don't serve our democracy or our constitutional rights.

• Focus on Local Impact: Local issues we want to help people be involved with and informed about (like school board elections or city council transparency) are often best addressed by groups that aren't tied to the rigid platforms of national parties.

Non-Partisan vs. Neutral

Many people confuse these two terms, but they are fundamentally different.

1. Non-Partisan: This means we have no official loyalty or affiliation to a political party. A non-partisan group will criticize or support a policy regardless of which party proposed it. Our organizational identity is separate from any DNC or RNC platform.

2. Neutral: This means an organization has no position or opinion on an issue. Most citizens and organizations are not neutral; they have deep convictions about what is right and wrong. 

Indivisible Chico is not a neutral organization because we are a group of American citizens who hold we are all Constitutionally protected in our rights to believe different things. We can peacefully debate our different ideas and share experiences and perspectives without adhering to a party-line.

A non-partisan group can, and often must, take a strong stance on policies and actions affecting its core mission. That's why we will speak up in favor of Prop 50, for example. While it may be using the tools we don't support (gerrymandering), it is in pursuit of establishing a temporary, till 2030, lower-case democratic line of defense against a blatantly partisan, authoritarian power grab. Many other tools have already failed us, so we will support those that remain.

Taking a Non-Partisan Stand on Policies

Indivisible Chico can and will voice strong preferences for policies and actions as long as those preferences are measured against the non-partisan goal of protecting and strengthening democracy.

Focus on the Civic Mechanism, Not the Outcome

We believe we should voice preferences for policies that improve the way democracy functions, even if a specific party usually champions them.

• Non-Partisan Preference: Voicing support for a policy that mandates independent redistricting commissions (to fight gerrymandering). This is a non-partisan action because fair maps are a mechanism of democracy, regardless of who wins the resulting election.

• Partisan Preference: Voicing support for a policy increasing the minimum wage would be blatantly partisan. While a worthy policy, it's an economic outcome, not a civic process, and falls rather outside our area.

Again, to use the example of Prop 50, the maps being proposed are temporary blocks to a very real, very aggressive effort on the national level to silence voters. The maps will be resettled based on a non-partisan commission recommendation in 2030, and in the meantime, California's voters are being given the opportunity to voice our opposition to federal elections being tampered with for partisan gain.

Uphold the Constitutional Standard

We believe our preferences should always prioritize constitutional rights and democratic norms. When a policy or action threatens a fundamental right, you have a non-partisan duty to speak out.

• Non-Partisan Preference: Voicing a preference for a politician who respects the results of free and fair elections and criticizes one who promotes election denialism. The principle (the peaceful transfer of power) is non-partisan.

• Partisan Preference: Voicing a preference for a politician based on their political party directly or their stance on foreign policy or tax rates are equally partisan.

Supporting or opposing a hypothetical President Turnip because his sentient hairpiece won the party nomination would be partisan. Opposing the same candidate for the same reason would be, again, partisan.

However, opposing an incumbent President Turnip because of violations to the emoluments clause, the Hatch Act, various previously adjudicated legal felonies, and ongoing efforts to deny basic Constitutional Rights would be a matter of American duty, not partisanship. 

The problem to be solved is not the matter of the party supporting the candidate, but rather the Actions of the candidate being overtly threatening to our democracy.

We Prefer "Voter Education" 

As a non-partisan group, Indivisible Chico often voices our preferences through education. Instead of endorsing a candidate, we try to educate the public on where candidates stand on core issues (e.g., voting rights, campaign finance reform).

Our concern as local citizens is the health of the political process, like voting access, transparency, and accountability. We remain non-partisan while still being a strong, vocal advocate for our shared beliefs. We are all fighting for the rules of the game, not a specific team.