
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
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.
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:
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.
All eligible voters should have access to a safe, secure, and accessible voting process.
Election officials and poll workers should uphold the highest ethical and professional standards and follow all federal, state, and local laws.
Election officials and poll workers should carry out their job duties in a nonpartisan manner.
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
To address increasing threats against election officials and continue to ensure the integrity of our elections, Congress should:
To learn more about Faces of Democracy, email Liz Cassin at ecassin@issueone.org.
Republican county recorder in Arizona’s largest county discusses the challenges of running elections when the the information environment is awash in lies...
Cites Issue One and our Faces of Democracy fly-in...
Faces of Democracy members interviewed...
Press releases
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
Exclusive about Issue One's new report, "The High Cost of High Turnover"...
Reports
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
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 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
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
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
Issue One's Deputy Chief of Strategy and Program Dokhi Fassihian quoted...
Analysis
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
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…