All Posts - Election Reformers Network

ERN Calls for the Supreme Court to Protect Election Innovation and Reject the Independent State Legislature Theory

December 7, 2022Al VanderklippBlog Post, Topics: ERN Updates

Statement from ERN Executive Director Kevin Johnson: Today, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Moore v. Harper. This case is about the “Independent State Legislature” (ISL) theory and whether state legislatures are subject to checks and balances when they pass state laws governing federal elections. The Court’s decision has the potential to put more power...

ERN in the News: From Brooks to Bangor

November 17, 2022Kevin JohnsonBlog Post, Topics: ERN Updates

ERN in the Post-Election News — Summary: David Brooks cites our work on election deniers running for secretary of state on PBS NewsHour. ERN opinion piece on the message from voters published in Talking Points Memo. Our call for secretaries of state running for office to recuse gets results in Washington. The Bangor Daily News editorializes in support of our position on...

Bangor Daily News Editorial Board: Secretaries of state should not be in charge of their own elections

November 15, 2022Election Reformers NetworkTopics: ERN in the News

Originally published in The Bangor Daily News. “According to the nonprofit Election Reformers Network, 15 secretaries of state, both Democrats and Republicans, were on the ballot last Tuesday. Most of them were running for reelection to their current posts. The organization called on those officials to recuse themselves from any recount that might occur in…

The Fulcrum: Which states had the highest turnout in 2022?

November 14, 2022Election Reformers NetworkTopics: ERN in the News

Originally published in The Fulcrum. “Four years ago, when the nation headed to the polls in the middle of Donald Trump’s divisive term as president, half of eligible voters cast a ballot. Last week, preliminary data shows overall turnout was down a few percentage points. But some states saw an increase in voter participation. According…

Voters Want Impartial Election Administration—And Tuesday’s Results Confirm It

November 14, 2022Kevin JohnsonElection Reform, ERN Op-Eds, Topics: Impartial Election Administration

This op-ed by ERN Executive Director Kevin Johnson originally appeared in TPM. With attention focused on the battle for control of Congress, some of the signs went under the radar. But last week’s results offered evidence for an encouraging takeaway: that voters understand the threat posed by our party-driven system of election management in today’s hyper-partisan…

PBS NewsHour: Brooks and Capehart on midterm results, Trump’s role in GOP

November 11, 2022Election Reformers NetworkTopics: ERN in the News

On Friday, November 11th, New York Times columnist David Brooks joined Judy Woodruff on PBS NewsHour to discuss the outcome of the 2022 midterm elections. “I would say one of the big things about this election, was it really made it much less likely we’ll have an electoral crisis in 2024. I saw a release…

Midterm Election Takeaway: Many defeats for the ‘Big Lie,’ but the ‘Big Flaw’ remains

November 9, 2022Kevin JohnsonBlog Post, Topics: ERN Updates, Uncategorized

For those of us working to reduce partisanship in election administration and protect fair elections, last night brought a lot of good news, along with some bad, with more to understand in the days and weeks ahead. Here's one way to sum it up: The "Big Lie" lost a lot of ground, but the "Big...

Election Reformers Network Calls for All Secretaries of State Who Are Candidates to Recuse Themselves From Key Roles in Close Races

November 7, 2022Kevin JohnsonBlog Post, Topics: Election Dispute Resolution, Topics: ERN Updates, Topics: Impartial Election Administration

Statement from ERN Executive Director Kevin Johnson: In Tuesday’s elections, fifteen secretaries of state (listed in the table below) who serve as their state’s most senior election administrator are themselves on the ballot in contested races, either for re-election or for governor. Although many secretaries of state manage such situations of potential conflict of interest...

AP: Vocabulary of voting – A glossary guide to the 2022 midterms

November 5, 2022Election Reformers NetworkTopics: ERN in the News

Originally published in multiple outlets by the Associated Press. “CANVASSING THE VOTE After votes are cast, officials check lists of voters against the number of ballots cast and research any discrepancies, which often are due to clerical errors or mistakes. CERTIFICATION Votes also have to go through the certification process at the local and then state levels,…

PBS NewsHour: How your secretary of state affects elections and why you should care

November 4, 2022Election Reformers NetworkTopics: ERN in the News

Originally published on the PBS NewsHour website. “…In some states, [Secretaries of State] also perform non-election roles. They can oversee business licenses, or, as in Arizona, be first-in-line successors to the governorship. The Texas secretary of state publishes the government’s rules and regulations, authorizes people as notaries public and acts as a senior advisor on border issues and…

What Happens if an Election is Close and Contested? An FAQ for Voters and Journalists

November 4, 2022Al VanderklippTopics: Election Dispute Resolution, Voter Information

Many of Tuesday's races are expected to be close. With partisan tensions running high and trust in elections low, it's crucial that voters and journalists are aware of the procedures that election administrators and the courts have in place to fairly resolve disputes. Understanding these steps can help ensure that results are broadly accepted as legitimate, even when...

The Atlantic: “The Best Way to Protect Elections From Partisan Manipulation”

November 4, 2022Election Reformers NetworkTopics: ERN in the News

Former White House Counsel and Law Professor Larry Schwartztol cites ERN research in his opinion piece on impartial elections for The Atlantic: “Nonpartisan, professionalized election administration is the norm in many other democracies; the American system of allowing partisan politicians to run elections is an outlier. Democracies around the world administer their elections in a host…