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Alan J. Simon

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    Voting

    Restore confidence in elections through mandatory poll duty

    Alan J. Simon
    December 30, 2022
    Election workers

    Election workers in Atlanta help check in a voter at a polling place during Georgia's Senate runoff election on Dec. 6.

    Alex Wong/Getty Images

    Simon is a technology consultant and a contributing author of “Leveraging: A Political, Economic and Societal Framework.”

    No matter where you fall on the political spectrum, it’s clear that democracy in America has been weakened by events over the past decade. In fact, one of the few things that people can agree on in an increasingly polarized country is that the very foundations of American democracy have become threatened. In such an environment, we need to look for ways to strengthen our trust in the democratic process.

    There is no magic bullet to quickly restore Americans’ confidence in elections; that trust will need to be rebuilt over time. For those who have lost faith in the election process, regardless of the reason, it will take many small building blocks to repair the foundation. To that end, I propose that establishing “election poll duty,” akin to jury duty, could be one of those building blocks.

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    Voting

    The war in Ukraine could restart action on voting rights legislation

    Alan J. Simon
    April 12, 2022
    Destroyed building in Ukraine

    Residents survey the wreckage after Russia fired missiles at a housing complex in Kyiv last month. One person was killed and 19 people were injured, including four children.

    Andriy Dubchak/dia images via Getty Images

    Simon is a technology consultant and a contributing author of “Leveraging: A Political, Economic and Societal Framework”.

    The crisis in Ukraine should lead Americans to reflect on the political state in our country. The plight of the Ukrainian people, in and of itself, is a weighty issue. At the same time, the harsh reality of events in Ukraine could lead us toward strengthening the foundations of democracy at home.

    The Russian invasion of Ukraine illustrates the fragility of democracy in general and, in particular, our democracy in the United States – notably, the importance of the democratic process, free and fair elections, the peaceful transition of power, and the rule of law.

    The situation in Ukraine could, and should, be used as a springboard to build the case for securing voting rights in the United States. So far, Democrats in Congress have been unsuccessful in moving either the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act or the Freedom to Vote Act forward. By connecting the dots, they could leverage the crisis in Ukraine to create an effective communication strategy. The objectives would be grassroots support as well as influencing top-down thinking of moderate Republicans to elevate the importance of passing voting rights legislation.

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