Meet the Faces of Democracy: Stephen Richer
Republican county recorder in Arizona’s largest county discusses the challenges of running elections when the the information environment is awash in lies...
Project
Faces of Democracy
A campaign of election officials and poll workers to strengthen U.S. elections
Election officials and poll workers are our neighbors and friends – and they make our democracy work. Issue One’s Faces of Democracy campaign, powered by election workers themselves, aims to strengthen our country’s critical election infrastructure by winning sufficient, regular, and predictable federal funding for state and locally-administered elections, bolstering protections for election workers and facilities, and building trust in our system of free and fair elections.
Here are some facts:
- Nearly 3 in 4 election officials report an increase in threats against election officials in recent years.
- Over 50% of local election officials are concerned about political interference in how election officials do their jobs.
- 1 in 5 election officials will be serving for the first time in the 2024 elections.
- 7 in 10 Americans believe the federal government should be equally, if not more, responsible for funding elections than state governments and local municipalities.
Sources: 2023 polls by Brennan Center and Issue One
The Faces of Democracy campaign is informed by the experiences of its members – election officials and poll workers from red and blue states, rural and urban communities, and all levels of election administration. The campaign is guided by the following principles:
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Elections are critical infrastructure for our democracy and Congress should provide states and localities with regular, predictable, and sufficient funding to ensure the security and modernization of our elections.
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All eligible voters should have access to a safe, secure, and accessible voting process.
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Election officials and poll workers should uphold the highest ethical and professional standards and follow all federal, state, and local laws.
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Election officials and poll workers should carry out their job duties in a nonpartisan manner.
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Election officials and poll workers should not face political pressure, threats, or intimidation for doing their jobs and protecting the integrity of our elections.
More information about Faces of Democracy members
“Faces of Democracy: How Our Elections Work and the Challenges Ahead”
To address increasing threats against election officials and continue to ensure the integrity of our elections, Congress should:
- Authorize significant and regular investment in America’s election infrastructure to ensure our elections are adequately funded;
- Provide new funding streams that election administrators and their staffs can utilize specifically for threat monitoring, safety and doxxing training, privacy services and home security;
- Enhance information sharing and coordination about threats against election officials between federal, state and local law enforcement entities;
- Clarify and expand existing federal protections against threats and intimidation to include authorized election agents, contractors, vendors, and volunteers; and
- Increase privacy protections for election workers and their families to protect against doxxing and harassment.
To learn more about Faces of Democracy, email Liz Cassin at ecassin@issueone.org.
Featured
A video from the Faces of Democracy: Congress needs to act now to support election officials
Time: Time Is Running Out For Congress to Protect Election Workers Before 2024
Cites Issue One and our Faces of Democracy fly-in...
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The Latest
Press releases
New report from Issue One highlights the high cost of high turnover as election officials leave their positions in record numbers
New research from Issue One shows that the turnover rate among local election officials since November 2020 is far higher than what would normally be expected, especially in battleground states…
In the media
NPR: In some states, more than half of the local election officials have left since 2020
Exclusive about Issue One's new report, "The High Cost of High Turnover"...
Reports
The High Cost of High Turnover
When local election officials leave their positions in record numbers, the costs to institutional knowledge and running elections are significant...
Introduction In the wake of a contentious presidential election in November 2020 that led to harassment and death threats against many once-obscure election administrators, droves of local election officials have…
Videos
A video from the Faces of Democracy: Congress needs to act now to support election officials
In this video from Issue One’s Faces of Democracy campaign, election officials from across the country call on Congress to provide reliable and consistent funding to ensure safe and secure…
Event Recaps
Issue One and Public Citizen host bipartisan event on threats posed by AI on democracy
Issue One recently partnered with Public Citizen to host a virtual event that brought together a bipartisan group of congressional leaders and election officials to discuss the threats posed by…
Analysis
Meet the Faces of Democracy: Stephen Richer
Republican county recorder in Arizona’s largest county discusses the challenges of running elections when the the information environment is awash in lies...
Editor’s note: More than 10,000 officials across the country run U.S. elections. This interview is part of a series highlighting the election heroes who are the faces of democracy. In…
Event Recaps
Faces of Democracy Fly-In 2023
Making noise to protect our elections!...
In early June 2023, two dozen nonpartisan and bipartisan election officials and poll workers from Issue One’s Faces of Democracy campaign traveled to Washington, D.C. to sound the alarm about…
In the media
Associated Press: Election workers have gotten death threats and warnings they will be lynched, the US government says
Issue One's Deputy Chief of Strategy and Program Dokhi Fassihian quoted...
Analysis
Election Offices Need Staff
Colleges and Universities May Have the Answer...
Election offices are facing a staffing crisis as the 2024 election approaches. Local election offices and colleges can tackle this problem together by making use of the existing Federal Work…
Analysis
Meet the Faces of Democracy: George Stern
Former county clerk and volunteer firefighter talks running elections...
Editor’s note: More than 10,000 officials across the country run U.S. elections. This interview is part of a series highlighting the election heroes who are the faces of democracy. From…