A close and contested election can be tough on democracy in the best of circumstances. As we learned in 2020, in our bitterly divided country, it’s potentially explosive.
“Close and contested” doesn’t mean “tainted and suspicious” – and it’s critical that Americans understand that difference.
Where are redistricting reforms occurring, and what concerns are prompting these changes? Watch the webinar to learn more.
The changes will “remove ambiguity and ensure courts are the primary venue for contested elections,” says Kevin Johnson, co-founder of the national Election Reformers Network.
With the help of ERN and coalition partners, Michigan became the eighth state, and the second swing state, to pass legislation bringing its laws into compliance with the historic Electoral Count Reform Act (ECRA).
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.
ERN Executive Director Kevin Johnson speaks with Law360 about the need for impartiality in ballot measure language.
Voters need to know that the election system protects them from rogue behavior. Even modest changes in law and practice could go a long way.
Though implications for the abortion ballot initiative in November have dominated news coverage of August’s Issue 1, the leadership failure atop the state’s election system should not be ignored. Ohio elections need neutral referees just as much as sports do.
In 33 states, the chief election official position is held by the secretary of state (or other state officer) who is elected in partisan elections and takes office with allegiance to a political party. No other democracy in the world selects its most senior election officials this way.