The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Aug. 6, 2024
Today’s Script
(Variations occur with audio due to editing for time. Today’s Links below the script)
You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.
Citing imminent threats to our election system, the American Bar Association’s Task Force for American Democracy released a report recommending ways legal professionals can take a larger community role to restore public confidence in our democratic republic.
The ABA issued the report August 2nd after a year of listening sessions and input from around the country. It states, “Too many of us have taken our democracy, our rule of law, our civic norms and our freedoms for granted and have not done the hard work required to keep a free and fair democratic republic.
The threats we are facing are real and they are existential. It is well past time for each of us to publicly say what we all know.”
The ABA recommends its members volunteer as poll workers and urge others to help; give talks and write op-eds for local news outlets; offer legal services defending democracy and the rule of law; assist in answering election questions from voters; monitor and help local election boards; refute election misinformation and direct voters to reliable sources; and donate time to the Election Official Legal Defense Network to help protect poll workers. The Task Force also urges members to model civil behavior and publicly condemn political violence or the threat of violence in their community, among several other recommendations.
We’ve linked to the full list of ABA recommendations at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. I’m Brian Beihl.
Today’s Links
Articles & Resources:
American Bar Association – ABA Task Force for American Democracy
ABA Task Force for American Democracy – Report: OVERCOMING SERIOUS THREATS TO OUR DEMOCRACY: WE ALL NEED TO GET INVOLVED TO DEFEND IT
ABA Journal – ABA Chair Mary L. Smith: Lawyers must act now to save our democracy
The Hill – American Bar task force calls on lawyers to defend against threats to democracy
Groups Taking Action:
Election Officials Legal Defense Network, Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, NAACP Legal Defense Fund, The Election Protection Coalition
Check Your Voter Registration
- U.S. Election Assistance Commission – Register And Vote in Your State
- USA Vote Foundation – Registration, Eligibility, State Election Office Links
- Vote.Gov – Register to Vote in Your State
- Vote.Org – Check Your Registration to Vote
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