News & Insights

Florida holds its March 17 primary, the odds are good that most voters aren't thinking about the health of global democracy. Most Americans don't focus on international affairs unless there's a crisis like war, terrorism or a pandemic. But a new report from Freedom House, an independent human-rights organization, documents that 2019 marked the 14th straight year that the global state of democracy and human rights declined.

Thank you Rob, it’s been a pleasure to get to know you and this great organization. It’s also an honor to co-host this event. When we got started, one of our first steps was to seek wisdom from Rob and Cynthia, and Rob, it was good to learn that conversation was a coming full circle, of sorts, to a conversation...

Is presidential elector freedom one risk too many?

Washington, DC; December 13, 2019. Election Reformers Network has received an 18-month grant to support its work to address conflicts of interest at the state chief election officer level. This is an important but complicated and neglected area of reform, so we are thrilled to have the support of an organization with the sophistication of the Democracy Fund, said Kevin Johnson, Executive Director of Election Reformers Network...

Published in The Fulcrum, August 22, 2019. With all eyes on the threats outsiders pose to the next presidential election, it seems we have forgotten the self-made dysfunction at the center of our democracy. Another presidential election approaches, with another victory to the popular vote loser a distinct possibility...

Perhaps it is not surprising that Friday’s vote on HR1, the omnibus election reform bill, broke strictly along partisan lines… And yet, just last year, many of the reforms featured in HR1 won backing from Republican majorities in several states. Reforms like independent redistricting, automatic voter registration, campaign…

We Americans find our ourselves today in a crisis of democracy. Our institutions don’t seem to work. They produce polarizing results. Gridlock and political stasis are prevalent. Visions of the future are bleak, featuring continued and increased stressing of our democratic institutions and traditions until they risk reaching the breaking point….

By Kevin Johnson in IVN Network Opinion. Among the many moments of President Bush’s life celebrated last week, I have a particular reason to focus on November 3, 1992, when Bush delivered what to me were the most important words of his presidency: “The people have spoken, and we respect the majesty of the democratic…

What are the main take-aways from the 2018 primary season from an election reform perspective? In summary, some good news, some problems, and some emerging solutions. The good news is that competition and participation both increased significantly in 2018, as more people ran, more people voted, and more primaries actually offered choice to voters… But…

This report compares constitutional amendment legislation in five states aimed at blocking partisan gerrymandering and changing how redistricting is done. The states include Ohio, Colorado, Michigan, Missouri, and Utah.