Law Day is a day few Americans are aware of. Yet in today’s politically charged environment, this day is more important than ever.
Law Day celebrates the rule of law. It is held annually on May 1 and provides all Americans with the opportunity to better understand how critical the law and the legal process are in protecting our liberty.
The worsening political polarization in America is creating deep anxiety among voters about the 2024 elections. Many Americans fear what disputed elections could mean for our democracy. Yet through an understanding of how the rule of law protects us, Americans will better understand how close and contested elections are inevitable, and all states have processes in place to handle such situations. It is critical that citizens understand how these systems work so they will trust the results. Trusted elections are the foundation of our democracy.
Between now and the election, more and more nonprofits will ramp up their work to enhance the understanding of what the rule of law means, and May 1 offers an opportunity for more Americans to reflect on its importance.
Election Reformers Network and the Bridge Alliance have come together to create the Election Overtime Project to help reporters, journalists, TV anchors and others prepare America to understand and not fear close elections.
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Focusing on six battleground states, the program will include state-specific policy briefs on election law, media training, and a speaker’s bureau of trusted commentators to support election night coverage and beyond. Program content will provide in-depth information on the safeguards and transparency across
the election phases, the recounts, audits, other procedures used to check results, and the principles that govern how courts judge election challenges. Program organizers will work closely with state election offices and experts on state law to ensure precision in all materials.
“An election can only be ‘proven flawed’ if there is evidence tested in court affecting more votes than the margin of victory,” said Kevin Johnson, executive director of the Election Reformers Network. “But that’s not intuitive to most voters, and it’s the kind of information election reporters need to be conveying to citizens.”
The program is predicated on the notion that factual information is a powerful tool to prevent unrest and distrust. Editors sometimes lean toward a demand for attention-grabbing election headlines when voters need careful attention to rules and laws instead.
“Faith and trust in our elections is essential for the well-being of our democratic republic,” said David L. Nevins, chairman of the board of the Bridge Alliance (and publisher of The Fulcrum). For this reason, it is critical that journalists in today’s contentious and partisan political climate cover the intricacies of election law and procedures, so Americans accept the results whether their candidate wins or loses.”
The American Bar Association’s Task Force for American Democracy recently announced an event at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia on May 1 to celebrate Law Day. (Register here.) It launched national listening tours in order to gather a diverse and bipartisan group of state and local community leaders from all walks of life to discuss the importance of democracy and how it affects us all. The goal of the listening tours is to foster and facilitate a dialogue between community leaders and election administrators in each state on the nuts and bolts of election administration, and with local leaders on how an understanding of civics, civility, and democracy enables our ability to advance as a civil society.
ABA President Mary Smith will kick off the event by explaining the purpose of the task force and discussions will follow about civility and the state of democracy, the nuts and bolts of free and fair elections, and strategies to educate and inform citizens, all with the goal of increasing their confidence in our government and the electoral process.
This May 1, on Law Day, take a few minutes out of your day to reflect on the importance the rule of law plays in protecting the liberties we all so cherish.
