“The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter.”
– Winston Churchill
Let’s prove him wrong!
Understanding Belief in Election Fraud and its Effect on Democratic Norms
“Conspiracy theories, election rigging, and support for democratic norms,” Research and Politics
July-September 2020: 1–9, Bethany Albertson and Kimberly Guiler https://doi.org/10.1177/2053168020959859
“The Effect of Conspiratorial Thinking and Motivated Reasoning on Belief in Election Fraud,” Political Research Quarterly, First Published July 31, 2017, Jack Edelson, Alexander Alduncin, Christopher Krewson, James A. Sieja, Joseph E. Uscinski https://doi.org/10.1177/1065912917721061
“Conspiracy theorists destroy a rational society: resist them”, John Thornhill, ft.com, Jan. 14, 2021, https://www.ft.com/content/4efc4eba-8a20-4b06-afb3-d0faf70c6abb
H.R. 1, the For the People Act
House Democrats have introduced H.R. 1, the For the People Act, in the 117th Congress, intended to make voting easier, not harder, and putting power in the hands of the American people by ending the dominance of big money in politics, to ensure that politicians actually serve the public interest.
In contrast, a backlash to historic voter turnout in the 2020 general election, and grounded in a rash of baseless and racist allegations of voter fraud and election irregularities, legislators have introduced well over four times the number of bills to restrict voting access as compared to roughly this time last year. Thirty-three states have introduced, prefiled, or carried over 165 restrictive bills this year (as compared to 35 such bills in fifteen states on February 3, 2020).
“Voting Laws Roudup 2021”, https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/voting-laws-roundup-february-2021
IssueVoter
IssueVoter is the most effective way to use your democratic power. We all have opinions — and we often share them on social media. But this site gives your the opportunity to give your opinions more weight in the political realm. Start by selecting issues you have strong feelings about, or know little to nothing about. When new bills related to your interests come up, you can offer your opinions, send feedback directly to your representative and track if the elected officials voted your way.
Vote411
This non-profit site, created by the League of Women Voters, is an all-in-one tool to compare candidates’ positions side-by-side, register to vote and see how issues affect your county and state. “Search issues by state” is one of their neatest functions. They also offer great info for military and overseas voters, so no matter where you’ll be November 6, you’ll be able to make a difference by casting your vote.
FactCheck
Fact Check does precisely what it sounds like, uncovering the truths and untruths behind everything said by political figures via videos, speeches, publications and websites. It’s a project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center, an advocacy non-profit, and is delightfully non-partisan. You can also pose your own questions to the site and selected queries will be answered.
Source: “6 Unbiased Websites To Keep You Informed This Election Season”, classpass.com, October 24, 2018
PolitiFact
Another fact-checking site, Pulitzer Prize-winning PolitiFact uses a fun meter system to gauge the relative truthfulness of candidates’ statements. You can search by state, person, truthfulness or promise, and the state tabs tend to be up to date with current news.
Ballotpedia
A veritable encyclopedia for all things election, this site covers federal, state and local elections, including calendars of dates, parties, candidates, platforms and information on voter ID, polling stations, ballots and absentee voting.
Rock the Vote
Rock the Vote is your go-to personal voting reminder and info system. While the non-partisan site is geared towards younger adults and new votes, it’s a powerful tool for anyone to keep track of your own democratic responsibility. Complete the pledge to vote in the coming election (and register easily), as well as receive reminders, info on your polling station and information on your district’s elected officials.
Source: “6 Unbiased Websites To Keep You Informed This Election Season”, classpass.com, October 24, 2018
“Democracy is contagious. It is an attractive idea because it is the people, not autocrats, who decide who runs the country and in which direction to move.”