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Claim: Universal mail-in voting has led to widespread voter fraud. Fact check: False

President Donald Trump
Brian Blanco/Getty Images

Nine states and Washington, D.C., will mail ballots directly to voters (what is known as universal mail-in voting), accounting for 44 million voters — half of President Trump's claim. Several states, including Colorado, Nevada and Washington have conducted primary elections in which ballots were mailed to all eligible voters. In Nevada some ballots were rejected largely because they were not properly filled out, but there were no reports of widespread voter fraud in those states


The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, is keeping track of voter fraud during the 2020 election. Its database lists 13 cases so far. None occurred in states with universal mail-in voting.


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Democracy on the Line: LGBTQ+ Movements as Critical to Democracy

People parading with a giant rainbow flag

Democracy on the Line: LGBTQ+ Movements as Critical to Democracy

In recent years, LGBTQ+ people and rights have been increasingly targeted as part of a wave of authoritarian illiberal politics, promoting a global “anti-gender” movement. These attacks on queer people have been characterized as “the canary in the coal mine”; an early warning sign of wider democratic erosion. Autocratic leaders have exploited anti-LGBTQ+ public sentiment to crack down on freedom of expression, freedom of the press, the right to organize, and to silence dissenting voices. In response, many LGBTQ+ movements are re-emphasizing their roles as democratic actors.

LGBTQ+ Rights and Democracy

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For Imre Huss, Fixing Democracy Starts With Talking to a Stranger
a couple of people sitting at a table with cups of coffee

For Imre Huss, Fixing Democracy Starts With Talking to a Stranger

The Democracy Architects Council, presented by The Bridge Alliance Education Fund and Civics Unplugged, offers a paid, one-year fellowship for eight fellows ages 18 to 28, each selected for their work across a distinct sector of democratic life.

The youngest member of the Democracy Architects Council is building AI-powered civic tech, but he says the real work of democracy still happens face to face.

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A Lantern in the Rain — A Beacon in Dark Times
a statue of abraham lincoln holding a cane
Photo by Simon Ray on Unsplash

A Lantern in the Rain — A Beacon in Dark Times

Around 9 PM on May 1, 1865, John Ring lit his lamp and headed to the horse barn. A steady rain was falling. He hung the light on a hook, scanned the stalls, checked the bridle and harness, and moved to the horse. Then he filled the lanterns with kerosene and began rigging the wagon.

Inside, Mary dressed in proper attire and made sure the children — John Jr. (17), Julia (14), Belle (10), Patrick (8), and little Martin (4) — were ready. John Jr., Julia, and Belle would walk behind the wagon in the rain; Mary, John, Patrick, and Martin would ride under a tarp. It would be a two-hour trip to Joliet. They started down the nearly pitch-black road, the wagon rocking in potholes.

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