Today’s Links
Articles:
UCLA’s Safeguarding Democracy Project
CBS News: Interview with Janai Nelson of Safeguarding Democracy Project and the Legal Defense Fund
Politico: Elections expert launches ‘Safeguarding Democracy’ project
Groups Taking Action:
Declaration for American Democracy, NAACP Legal Defense Fund, League of Women Voters, Common Cause, ACLU
You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.
The election subversion attempts by rogue state legislatures and the recent announcement of a North Carolina case in the U.S. Supreme Court which could potentially give ultimate control over elections to legislatures, have shaken our democratic foundation. The good news is that there are groups preparing for these and other issues eroding our American democracy.
Just announced this week is the UCLA Safeguarding Democracy Project, an all-star coalition of democracy academics, lawyers, and technical experts who are evaluating the strengths and weaknesses in our democratic system. In an interview this week on CBS announcing the group, board member and NAACP Legal Defense Fund director Janai Nelson, explained that the group is a collaboration of democracy experts from across the political spectrum who will research ways to prevent voter suppression, control election disinformation, prevent election sabotage, and develop tactics for use in the courts. The project’s website notes that this research will be shared with legislators, advocates and the public through conferences and education.
Advocacy groups are also gearing up. Common Cause continues to monitor misinformation and disinformation in social media and other channels through its network of volunteers. Nelson’s Legal Defense fund, ACLU, the League of Women Voters and others are preparing for legal action to protect the election, and voting rights coalitions like Declaration for American Democracy are preparing state groups to protect their voters.
We have links to articles and these groups taking action at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. Granny D said “Democracy is not something we have, it’s something we DO.”
For the American Democracy Minute, I’m Brian Beihl.