Readout from the Summit on American Democracy
A Note from Executive Director David Becker
CEIR recently hosted the Summit on American Democracy in Washington, D.C. Attending and speaking were election officials from both parties, from Maine to California, some who have served in public office for decades, and some who are preparing to administer an election for the first time. Every state’s chief election official and election director was invited, along with local election officials from all over the country.
It was incredibly valuable for us to reconnect, share ideas, and hear diverse perspectives on election administration from all over the country. If you watch the Summit, which was live streamed and had portions broadcast on C-SPAN, you’ll hear from Republicans and Democrats, Trump voters and Biden voters, who came together to discuss challenges, best practices, and long-term solutions. While there may have been disagreements about policy in the room, there’s one thing that unites all of them – the belief that democracy must persist and thrive, and that it must reflect the will of the people.
I’m particularly proud of the frank discussions we had on the mental health and sustainability of the state and local election administration workforce. The fact is, the climate and culture of election work changed in 2020 with the Big Lie. Even after nearly 1,000 days, the lies have not let up. They continue to persist, even after election denial has proven to be a failed political strategy, but there’s no doubt the constant harassment is taking its toll on the men and women who facilitate our democracy.
I invite you to check out the conversations yourself, links to which you can find below.
Sincerely,
David Becker
Executive Director, CEIR
Watch: The Summit on American Democracy
Opening Remarks: CEIR Executive Director David Becker
Lessons Learned from the 2020 and 2022 Elections
- Moderated by Major Garrett, Chief Washington Correspondent, CBS News
- Paige Alexander, The Carter Center
- Justin Levitt, Loyola University School of Law
- Brad Raffensperger, Secretary of State, Georgia
- Charles Stewart, MIT
- Stephanie Thomas, Secretary of State, Connecticut
Maintaining Accurate and Complete Voter Lists
- Moderated by Pam Fessler, NPR Journalist (ret.)
- Gregg Amore, Secretary of State, Rhode Island
- Ryan Germany, Former. Counsel, GA Secretary of State’s Office
- Jeramy Gray, Chief Deputy, Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder
- Steve Simon, Secretary of State, Minnesota
- Maggie Toulouse Oliver, Secretary of State, New Mexico
Lunch Conversation: Rep. Jamie Raskin and Georgia Secretary of State, Brad Raffensperger, in conversation with Kyung Lah, CNN
Reporting Results: Can and Should We Count Ballots Faster?
- Moderated by Dianne Gallagher, CNN
- Cathy Darling Allen, Registrar, Shasta County, CA
- Kyle Ardoin, Secretary of State, LA
- Sarah Copeland Hanzas, Secretary of State, VT
- Tahesha Way, Secretary of State, NJ
Addressing Threats and Harassment Facing Election Officials
- Moderated by Amy Gardner, Washington Post
- Shenna Bellows, Secretary of State, ME
- Jocelyn Benson, Secretary of State, MI
- Bill Gates, Supervisor, Maricopa County, AZ
- Natalie Adona, Clerk-Recorder/Registrar of Voters, County of Nevada, CA
Bridging the Divide: Opportunities for Bipartisan Cooperation
- Moderated by Carrie Levine, Votebeat
- Adrian Fontes, Secretary of State, AZ
- Rebecca Green, William & Mary Law School
- Jena Griswold, Secretary of State, CO
- Tiffany Lee, Clerk, La Plata County, CO
- Rey Valenzuela, Dir. of Elections, Maricopa County, AZ
Looking to 2024: Are We Ready?
- Moderated by David Becker, Executive Director, CEIR
- Cisco Aguilar, Secretary of State, NV
- Bob Bauer, Co-Chair, EOLDN
- Ben Ginsberg, Co-Chair, EOLDN
- Trey Grayson, Former Secretary of State, KY
- Sarah Longwell, Publisher, The Bulwark
Attacks on Democracy – ERIC, Election Security, and Disinformation
In our latest webinar, David Becker, Executive Director of CEIR, and Quinn Raymond, Project Manager at Protect Democracy discussed how election officials and those in the democracy space can recognize disinformation when they see it, and set the record straight about the systems that keep our elections secure.