Election Denial Evolves
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Election Denial Evolves
The next wave of the Election Denier movement is here.
The New York Times?called attention this week ?to an organized movement to push a flurry of election-related bills through state legislatures. Some would limit mail voting and drop boxes or tighten voter registration rules. Others would restrict funding for state and local election offices.
Let’s be clear: These are solutions in search of a problem. As the story documented, the bills are driven in part by well-funded advocacy groups and networks of activists, “some of whom promote the most far-fetched theories about hacked voting machines.”
Sometimes the threats to our elections are?broadcast loud and clear . But in 2023, the Election Denier movement is carrying out much of its work away from the national spotlight.
As we?warned in a report last month , Election Deniers in state offices are creating special units to prosecute election crimes, despite years of evidence that voter fraud is vanishingly rare. Election Deniers in power are also moving to restrict resources and funding support to local election administrators, and refusing to cooperate with other states to make voter rolls more accurate.
(The Election Deniers who lost races last year are still out there, too. Some are?already planning their next campaigns .)
Last year’s midterms drew attention to election lies, and voters responded. Election denial cost statewide candidates?2.3 to 3.7 percentage points in the midterms ?because voters?rejected candidates who didn’t believe in free and fair elections ?but wanted to control state elections in the future.
The midterms are over, but the threat is still with us. As our CEO, Joanna Lydgate, told The New York Times, the decisions being made today in the states will determine how the 2024 election is run, “and American voters will feel the impact.”
State of the States
In Georgia,?at least eight of the 16 people who falsely posed as presidential electors to help former President Trump hold on to power?have been granted immunity ?in the Fulton County district attorney’s investigation, according to a court filing. The New York Times, citing people with knowledge of the investigation, reported that at least one additional fake elector?also has an immunity agreement in place . District Attorney Fani Willis is examining whether Trump and his associates broke the law when they tried to reverse the results of Georgia’s presidential election in 2020. She plans to?announce decisions about any criminal charges ?this summer. States United has a?full background report on the investigation.
In the News
“They may have lost an election, but they gained a platform,” said?Joanna Lydgate, CEO of?States United Action, a nonpartisan group that advocates for protecting U.S. elections and tracks election deniers. “We’re starting to see some of these defeated candidates seeking power outside of government, and they’re still pushing lies and conspiracy theories about elections. So we have to stay vigilant.”
“They haven’t stopped trying to change how our elections are run. They’re just doing it out of the spotlight,” said?Joanna Lydgate, the chief executive of?States United, a nonpartisan election group.
“Anyone who remembers 2020 and is thinking ahead to 2024 knows that the Pennsylvania Supreme Court is going to play a critical role in how the state runs its elections and how the outcome of the election is managed and dealt with,”?Victoria Bassetti, senior advisor at the nonpartisan?States United Democracy Center, which works to protect ballot access and beat back voter suppression, told?Bolts.
Tweet of the Week
From States United President & CEO?Joanna Lydgate .
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About the States United Democracy Center:
The States United Democracy Center is a nonpartisan organization advancing free, fair, and secure elections. We focus on connecting state officials, law enforcement leaders, and pro-democracy partners across America with the tools and expertise they need to safeguard our democracy. We are more than a think tank—we are an action tank. And together, we are committed to making sure every vote is counted, every voice is heard, and every election is safe. To learn more, visit?www.statesuniteddemocracy.org .
About States United Action
States United Action is a nonpartisan section 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization with a mission to protect our elections and our democracy. States United Action advocates for policies that protect election integrity, hold democracy violators accountable, and prevent political violence that threatens to undermine the will of the American people, and amplifies the voices of state leaders and law enforcement leaders who share these values. To learn more, visit?www.statesuniteddemocracy.org/states-united-action.
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