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Faces of Democracy

A campaign of election officials and poll workers to strengthen U.S. elections

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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.
  • 30% of election officials say they have faced abuse, harassment, and threats because of their job as a local election official.
  • 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:

  • Election officials and poll workers should not face political pressure, threats, or intimidation for doing their jobs and protecting the integrity of our elections.
  • Elections are critical infrastructure for our democracy, and Congress should provide states and localities with sufficient, regular, and predictable funding.

 

Natalie Adona, Assistant Clerk-Recorder/Registrar of Voters for Nevada County, CA
Cisco Aguilar, Nevada Secretary of State
Aaron Ammons, Champaign County Clerk, IL
Shenna Bellows, Maine Secretary of State
Jocelyn Benson, Michigan Secretary of State
Dave Bjerke, Director of Elections & General Registrar of Voters for the City of Falls Church, VA
Karen Brinson Bell, Executive Director of the NC State Board of Elections
Barb Byrum, Ingham County Clerk, MI
Leigh Chapman, Former Acting Secretary of the Commonwealth of PA
Virginia Chau, Poll Worker in Denver, CO
Jim Condos, Former Vermont Secretary of State
Nedra Cooper, Poll worker trainer for the Clark County, NV Elections Department
Nick Custodio, Deputy Philadelphia City Commissioner
Dustin Czarny, Onondaga County, NY Election Commissioner
Cathy Darling Allen, County Clerk and Registrar of Voters in Shasta County, CA
Lisa Deeley, Philadelphia City Commissioner
Bill Gates, Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, AZ
Ken Hamm, Poll worker in Las Vegas, NV
Neal Kelley, Former Registrar of Voters for Orange County, CA
Carly Koppes, County Clerk and Recorder in Weld County, CO
Brianna Lennon, County Clerk for Boone County, MO
Edward Lindsey, Georgia State Board of Elections member
Amber McReynolds, Former Director of Elections for the City and County of Denver, CO
Denise Merrill, Former Connecticut Secretary of State
Spenser Mestel, Poll worker in Brooklyn, NY
Roxanna Moritz, Former Auditor and Commissioner of Elections for Scott County, IA
Brad Raffensperger, Georgia Secretary of State
Stephen Richer, Maricopa County Recorder, AZ
Rob Rock, Deputy Secretary of State, RI
Justin Roebuck, County Clerk for Ottawa County, MI
Omar Sabir, Philadelphia City Commissioner
Al Schmidt, Acting Secretary of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Shane Schoeller, County Clerk for Greene County, MO
Steve Simon, Minnesota Secretary of State
George Stern, Former County Clerk and Recorder in Jefferson County, CO
Wesley Wilcox, Supervisor of Elections for Marion County, FL
Julie Wise, Director of King County Elections, WA

Meet the Faces of Democracy

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More information about Faces of Democracy members

“Faces of Democracy: How Our Elections Work and the Challenges Ahead”

Download the booklet

To address increasing threats against election officials and continue to ensure the integrity of our elections, Congress should:

  1. Authorize significant and regular investment in America’s election infrastructure to ensure our elections are adequately funded;
  2. 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;
  3. Enhance information sharing and coordination about threats against election officials between federal, state and local law enforcement entities;
  4. Clarify and expand existing federal protections against threats and intimidation to include authorized election agents, contractors, vendors, and volunteers; and
  5. 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.

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