Championing impartial elections and concrete policy solutions that strengthen American Democracy.

Election Reformers Network aims to end partisan and insider control over elections. Favoring neither the left or the right, we lead a U.S. movement to ensure that country comes first, not party. ​

WHY WE CARE

Fair, functioning democracy is important

Polarization like we’ve never seen

A range of powerful forces act together to make America an increasingly divided country. These influences are woven into the core elements of our life: from social media algorithms that incentivize anger, to 24-hour news cycles that retain viewers by amplifying a false dichotomy of far left and far right.

Even where and with whom people choose to live can become a political matter. No one person or side is to blame, but we have everything to lose if we don’t strengthen the core institutions of our nation to withstand this new polarizing reality.

Elections rules from another century

Polarization is worsened by an archaic set of election rules left over from a bygone political era. We place parties in charge of everything from voting rules, to district lines, to election oversight. These practices overrepresent the extremes and discourage common ground.

Meanwhile, peer democracies have innovated, upgrading election systems to require impartiality, encourage compromise, reduce conflicts of interest, and sustain broad participation and trust. Evidence-based solutions exist; we only need the will to implement them.

Democracy breaking down

Rising polarization colliding against outdated and hyper-partisan systems could soon lead to a complete breakdown in American democracy.

No system can ever be all things to all people, but we won’t make headway on any of the issues Americans care about until we move past polarization and operate within an impartial, trusted, fair governance system. America’s democratic republic relies on an election ecosystem that works – for today, tomorrow, and the next generation.  

Donate

Today

HIGHLIGHTS

What’s new and noteworthy at ERN

Helping States Comply with the Electoral Count Reform Act
June 6, 2023

Helping States Comply with the Electoral Count Reform Act

Election Reformers Network is in the process of working with state lawmakers and coalitions to identify areas in state election code that will need adjustment for ECRA compliance by the next presidential election in 2024.

Model Bills
May 28, 2023

Model Bills

This collection of model legislation offers a starting point for state lawmakers and advocates interested in drafting reforms to strengthen elections and democratic institutions. Models feature ethics legislation, qualification thresholds for senior election officials, and a task force study bill.

Anti-gerrymandering: North Carolina Supreme Court extends a dangerous idea we need Congress to fix.
May 5, 2023

Anti-gerrymandering: North Carolina Supreme Court extends a dangerous idea we need Congress to fix.

Extreme partisan gerrymandering is now freely permitted in North Carolina. It may soon be in other states to come, and it has been for federal courts since the 2019 Rucho v Common Cause decision, which reached similar conclusions for similarly flawed reasons. Congress needs to act.

National Poll on Election Administration
August 23, 2023

National Poll on Election Administration

We must remove partisanship from election administration, say voters of all political stripes in a national poll commissioned by Election Reformers Network. The survey asked people’s views on our election system and on changes aimed at bolstering voter trust; 71% believe candidates for election official positions should be required to have experience running elections.

The Atlantic: "The Best Way to Protect Elections From Partisan Manipulation"
November 4, 2022

The Atlantic: "The Best Way to Protect Elections From Partisan Manipulation"

Former White House Counsel and Law Professor Larry Schwartztol cited ERN research in his opinion piece on impartial elections for The Atlantic. The article explains that nonpartisan, professionalized election administration is the norm in many other democracies; the American system of allowing partisan politicians to run elections is an outlier.

Congress’ fix to presidential votes lights the way for broader election reform
December 28, 2022

Congress’ fix to presidential votes lights the way for broader election reform

In 2022, Congress was able to find common ground on an issue that destabilized U.S. politics. This unusually cooperative effort to update the Electoral Count Act of 1887 offers a path to a less divisive election ecosystem nationwide including redistricting reform.