Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Top Stories

Politicians, philanthropists latest working to assure public that election is fair

Detroiit voters

VoteSafe is running ad campaigns in Michigan (and other states) to convince conservative and independent voters that the election is safe and secure.

Brittany Greeson/Getty Images

In the latest in a string of such efforts, a group of prominent political leaders and one of leading philanthropists are trying to spread the word that this election is safe and secure — and will be accurate.

The organizers of these and other campaigns are facing a much more skeptical and worried electorate than usual — thanks to the coronavirus pandemic and President Trump's steady drumbeat of assertions without evidence that record mail-in voting is riven with fraud.


The first group, VoteSafe, is led by Republican Tom Ridge, a former governor of Pennsylvania and Homeland Security secretary, and Democrat Jennifer Granholm, a former governor of Michigan.

VoteSafe has unveiled a $1.7 million advertising campaign featuring local election officials reassuring voters that the election is safe and secure. The "guardians of democracy" campaign is beginning in four battleground states: Florida, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

The digital ads are targeting independent voters in the four states. In Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin, ads targeting conservatives are appearing on Fox News.

In the Michigan ad, Walker City Clerk Sarah Bydalek says, "Absentee voting in Michigan is nothing new. I can assure you our system is safe and secure. We have a strict verification and ID process once your ballot arrives."

"Whether you vote in person or by mail, have faith, your vote will be counted," Bydalek says.

Meanwhile, about 115 philanthropic leaders have signed a letter calling for safe elections in which all votes are counted and the results accepted peacefully.

The letter, reported this week by the Chronicle of Philanthropy, cites the highly partisan and inflammatory rhetoric surrounding the election.

Among those signing the letter are Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn; Nicole Taylor, president of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation; Rachel Hoff, policy director of the Ronald Reagan Institute; and Larry Kramer, head of the Hewlett Foundation.

"These are giant warning signs for American democracy, for civil society, and for most of the issues about which philanthropy is concerned," the letter states.

It urges leaders of all types and ordinary Americans to make sure "the sacred right to vote is upheld."

Read More

What Democracy Promised Us — and What We Got Instead
a flag on a pole
Photo by Don Starkey on Unsplash

What Democracy Promised Us — and What We Got Instead

The Fulcrum is committed to nurturing the next generation of journalists. To learn about the many NextGen initiatives we are leading, click HERE.

We asked Lluvia Chavez, a Mexican-American bilingual journalist dedicated to amplifying the stories of underrepresented communities and a cohort member with the Fulcrum Fellowship, to share her thoughts on what democracy means to her and her perspective on its current health.

Keep ReadingShow less
Government by “the consent of the governed”

Government by “the consent of the governed”

Government by “The Consent of the Governed”

The Expand Democracy 5: A Supreme Court out of balance, collaborative legislative rules, a public primary, a faster way to tally ranked choice voting elections, and timely links.

Welcome to the latest edition of The Expand Democracy 5. From Rob Richie, with Eveline Dowling and with Juniper Shelley’s assistance, we highlight timely links and stories about democracy at the local, national, and global levels. Today's stories include:

Keep ReadingShow less
Tax Changes in the Federal Budget Bill Are a Disaster for Many American Families

A family together in their kitchen.

Getty Images, The Good Brigade

Tax Changes in the Federal Budget Bill Are a Disaster for Many American Families

Anyone raising children in the U.S. knows that it’s expensive. Many jobs – especially the service jobs that do essential work caring for our children and elders, bringing us food, cleaning our office buildings, and so much more – don’t pay enough to cover basic needs. From rising grocery costs to unaffordable housing, it’s becoming harder and harder for American families to make ends meet.

Unfortunately, if our leaders don’t step up, it will soon get even more difficult for families. That’s because the budget reconciliation bill passed by the U.S. Senate on Tuesday, now under consideration by the House of Representatives, includes critical tax changes that will leave many children, their families, and, ultimately, our communities in the lurch.

Keep ReadingShow less