Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW)的动态

2025 is packed with thousands of local elections happening all over the country. However, voting in these elections may differ from voting in previous years. The landscape of voting legislation experienced significant changes in 2024. Some states implemented more restrictive voting laws, while others took steps to expand access to the ballot box. Key developments in some states include: Stricter proof-of-citizenship requirements, expanded mail voting options and legislative actions centered on election security and addressing potential interference. If you are unsure if your state has implemented new voter legislation or want to learn more, click here: https://lnkd.in/gW4V8MmY.?

This week in election law & policy: We're tracking 531 election bills filed or prefiled across 35 states. Read the latest analysis in this week's edition of The Markup:

Even just a few months out from the 2024 election, state lawmakers are continuing to change the rules. Read our newest analysis highlighting three trends in election-related legislation from the 2024 state sessions:

A razor-thin election in North Carolina has sparked a legal battle over 60,000 ballots, putting the state’s judicial system under intense scrutiny. The outcome of this high-stakes case could set a precedent for elections nationwide, raising concerns about voter rights, judicial impartiality and the durability of democratic systems. Read now: https://lnkd.in/g8Fbr4_g How should courts balance legal disputes with public trust in elections? Join the conversation. #NorthCarolina #ElectionIntegrity #JudicialIndependence #DemocracyMatters

2/2 In the case of the Report on Election Observers, the Commission concluded that, in line with the broad concept of human rights defenders shared by the United Nations and the Council of Europe, election observers can be qualified as human rights defenders, as they safeguard a wide range of fundamental rights, in particular the right to vote and to stand as a candidate, as well as civil and political rights, such as freedom of assembly and association; freedom of expression; the right of access to information; freedom of movement; the right to non-discrimination; and the right of access to courts and to an effective remedy. The Report notes that election observers have the right to seek protection and promote human rights at the national and international levels, with adequate protection under national law, both independently and collaboratively. It also called on States to include in their national legislative framework protections and guarantees of the rights of national and international observers as well as partisan election observers. In accepting the Report on behalf of the organization, the Director of the OAS Department of Electoral Cooperation and Observation, Gerardo de Icaza, thanked the Commission and the rapporteurs for their work. He noted that the Report transcends European borders as it addresses issues affecting all regions of the world and provides a roadmap on the rights of observers as well as the duties that States have towards them. In its deliberations, and in recognition of its positive institutional collaboration with the OAS, the Venice Commission also invited the OAS General Secretariat, through the Department of Cooperation and Electoral Observation (DECO), to become an observer member of the Commission's Council for Democratic Elections. The Council for Democratic Elections is the only tripartite body of the Council of Europe, composed of members of the Venice Commission, the Parliamentary Assembly and the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe. It examines all opinions and documents of a general nature in the field of elections and political parties before they are submitted for adoption by the Venice Commission.

With the very real threat at hand of partisan election officials and legislators sabotaging legitimate election results, we need federal legislation to fortify free and fair elections and to protect against partisan manipulation. Good news: Such federal legislation exists and is currently pending in both the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives. The Freedom to Vote Act and the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act would: Bolster voter registration Improve election security Protect elections against political interference Help get dark money out of politics? Ban partisan gerrymandering Tell Congress to pass this legislation to ensure that elections are decided by the will of the people, not by partisan actors.

What drives millions of Americans to vote in elections where individual impact is minimal? In his latest for The Unpopulist, IHS Fellow Andy Craig examines this paradox and argues that voting is a civic ritual that keeps our democracy resilient. Reflecting on historic elections like 1864, when Americans cast ballots amid civil war, Craig underscores that voting is more than just policy preferences or partisanship—it’s a commitment to resolve conflicts peacefully and uphold equality. As Craig puts it, voting is an enduring act of mutual respect and shared responsibility in a diverse society. Read the full essay: https://lnkd.in/e26YBgqh

New legislation and litigation in some states is forcing election administrations to adopt aggressive tactics that risk purging eligible citizens from the voter rolls. Learn more in our latest analysis:

"The End of the Voting Methods Debate" A voting method is the procedure at the heart of an election that specifies what information is to be gathered from voters, and how that collected information is to be utilized to determine the winning candidate. The U.S. Constitution is mute as to what voting method should be employed. The simplest, known as “plurality,” has […] https://lnkd.in/gdijKB5k

What the Trump administration can and should do is assist states’ efforts to improve the integrity of elections. This includes removing roadblocks placed in their way by the Obama and Biden administrations and properly enforcing federal laws affecting the voting process instead of abusing those laws and selectively enforcing them.