The Hon. Barbara Comstock
Former U.S. Rep. (R-VA)
National Council on Election Integrity
A bipartisan group of over 40 government, political, and civic leaders who are devoted to defending the legitimacy of our elections
The bipartisan National Council on Election Integrity (NCEI) consists of over 40 government, political, and civic leaders united around defending the legitimacy of our free and fair elections.
Launched in advance of the contentious November 2020 presidential election, NCEI was initially formed to push back against election disinformation and promote the safety, security, and accessibility of our elections amidst the coronavirus pandemic.
In October 2020, NCEI launched its “Count Every Vote” campaign, a $15 million public education effort to encourage calm and crosspartisan cooperation in the post-election period, and demand that every vote be counted.
NCEI members worked to neutralize the false narrative of widespread election fraud in the media, including attempts to question the security of mail ballots that sowed serious doubt in our democratic process. Both before and after Election Day, the council amplified a message aimed encouraging patience and a peaceful transfer of power regardless of the outcome. NCEI’s efforts received significant media attention, with more than 200 media mentions, in addition to running four TV ads.
Since the election, NCEI has remained active. The National Council on Election Integrity:
- Helped lead the campaign for an independent and bipartisan commission to thoroughly investigate the events of January 6, 2021 and take necessary steps to ensure it never happens again
- Called for bipartisan action on legislation to protect every American’s freedom to vote
- Convened experts for a conversation on the impact disinformation is having on democracy
- Condemned state bills politicizing election administration and curtailing Americans’ freedom to vote
National Council on Election Integrity Co-chairs
The Hon. Donna Edwards
Former U.S. Rep. (D-MD)
The Hon. Tim Roemer
Former Ambassador & U.S. Rep. (D-IN)
The Hon. Zach Wamp
Former U.S. Rep. (R-TN)
The Members
Melody Barnes
Executive Director of the University of Virginia Karsh Institute of Democracy
Tina Barton
Election expert at the Elections Group & former EAC staff
The Hon. Charles Boustany
Former U.S. Rep. (R-LA)
Donna Brazile
Former DNC Chair
The Hon. John Bridgeland
Executive Chairman of the Office of American Possibilities
Gen. James Cartwright
Former Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
The Hon. Michael Chertoff
Former Sec. of Homeland Security
The Hon. Dan Coats
Former Dir. of Intelligence & U.S. Sen. (R-IN)
The Hon. Carlos Curbelo
Former U.S. Rep. (R-FL)
The Hon. Tom Daschle
Former Senate Majority Leader (D-SD)
The Hon. Russ Feingold
Former U.S. Sen. & President of the American Constitution Society (D-WI)
The Hon. Dick Gephardt
Former House Majority Leader (D-MO)
The Hon. Trey Grayson
Former Kentucky Sec. of State (R)
The Hon. Steve Gunderson
Former U.S. Rep. (R-WI)
The Hon. Chuck Hagel
Former Sec. of Defense & U.S. Sen. (R-NE)
The Hon. Lee H. Hamilton
Former U.S. Rep. (D-IN)
The Hon. Jane Harman
Former U.S. Rep. (D-CA)
The Hon. Bill Haslam
Former Governor (R-TN)
The Hon. Asa Hutchinson
Former Governor (R-AR)
Neal Kelley
Former Registrar of Voters for Orange County, CA
The Hon. Mary Landrieu
Former U.S. Sen. (D-LA)
The Hon. Amber McReynolds
National election expert, Governor for the United States Post Office, & former local election official
The Hon. Susan Molinari
Former U.S. Rep. (R-NY)
The Hon. Connie Morella
Former Ambassador & U.S. Rep. (R-MD)
The Hon. Carol Moseley Braun
Former Ambassador & U.S. Sen. (D-IL)
The Hon. Marc Morial
President & CEO of National Urban League
Janet Murguía
President & CEO of UnidosUS
The Hon. Dave Obey
Former U.S. Rep. (D-WI)
Adm. Bill Owens
Former Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
The Hon. Leon Panetta
Former Sec. of Defense, Dir. of the CIA & U.S. Rep. (D-CA)
The Hon. Deborah Pryce
Former U.S. Rep. (R-OH)
The Hon. Reid Ribble
Former U.S. Rep. (R-WI)
The Hon. Tom Ridge
Former Gov. & Sec. of Homeland Security (R-PA)
Adm. Michael S. Rogers
Former Commander, U.S. Cyber Command & Dir. National Security Agency
The Hon. Michael Steele
Former RNC Chair & Lt. Gov. (R-MD)
The Hon. Natalie E. Tennant
Former West Virginia Sec. of State (D)
The Hon. Henry Waxman
Former U.S. Rep. (D-CA)
The Hon. Tim Wirth
Former U.S. Sen. (D-CO)
The Hon. Kim Wyman
Former Washington Sec. of State and CISA’s Senior Election Security Advisor
Featured Work
Issue One, NCEI co-chairs, and Faces of Democracy members denounce Congress for failure to invest in our critical election infrastructure
In response to today’s House Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Subcommittee (FSGG) markup, which allocated zero dollars in federal funding for critical election infrastructure, Issue One’s Director of Election…
Issue One’s NCEI co-chairs call on Congress for renewed investments in U.S. elections ahead of November
In a new letter, co-chairs of Issue One’s bipartisan National Council on Election Integrity (NCEI) called on Congress to provide regular and consistent funding to support our nation’s critical election…
Featured Press
The Hill: To preserve the integrity of our elections, language matters
Op-ed by National Council on Election Integrity members Donna Brazile and Michael Steele...
Roll Call: Bipartisan groups urge Congress to boost election security grants
Exclusive about Issue One's new poll and funding requests from members of the National Council on Election Integrity and Faces of Democracy...
The Hill: A unique set of challenges could cause turmoil in 2024 — but here’s why we can trust the vote
Op-ed by National Council on Election Integrity Co-chairs Zach Wamp and Tim Roemer...
Washington Examiner: Congress must take action to secure and invest in the 2024 elections
Op-ed by National Council on Election Integrity Co-chairs Barbara Comstock and Donna Edwards...
The Latest
Op-eds
Philadelphia Inquirer: To build trust in the electoral process, let’s ‘pull back the curtain’ on how it works
Op-ed by Senior Political Strategist and member of the National Council on Election Integrity Amber McReynolds
In the media
Issue One in the news: March 2022 media mentions recap
Our March 22 event in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, with Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) and Issue One Founder and CEO Nick Penniman accounted for 45% of our total press hits last month.…
Press releases
Remembering Madeleine Albright’s Life of Service and Commitment to Democracy
Issue One Founder and CEO Nick Penniman released the following statement regarding the life of former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, who died today at the age of 84: “Secretary…
Op-eds
Chicago Tribune: Putin has made his bet against American democracy. It’s time to prove him wrong.
Op-ed by ReFormers Caucus Co-chairs Amb. Tim Roemer (D-IN) and Rep. Zach Wamp (R-TN)
In the media
Issue One in the news: February 2022 media mentions recap
Our “Fair Pay” report on low congressional staff pay continued to grab headlines as reporters covered the challenging environment facing many junior staffers on Capitol Hill. Founder and CEO Nick Penniman appeared…
Press releases
National Council on Election Integrity responds to Russian invasion of Ukraine
Bipartisan group warns, “the future of America’s experiment in self-governance is not guaranteed”...
In response to Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, and the threats to democracy at home and abroad, the bipartisan National Council on Election Integrity issued the following statement: “The world…
Press releases
National Council on Election Integrity responds to RNC censure
Bipartisan group calls January 6 a “violent and deadly insurrection”...
In response to the Republican National Committee’s censure of Reps. Liz Cheney (R-WY) and Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) for participating in the House select committee’s investigation of the January 6 attack,…
In the media
Issue One in the news: January 2022 media mentions recap
It was a busy start to the year for Issue One. Press highlights included the release of our congressional staff pay report, which was covered exclusively by Roll Call and also reported on by CNN, Politico, NBC…
In the media
Issue One in the news: December 2021 media mentions recap
Among our most notable press mentions in December, two members of the National Council on Election Integrity — former Rep. Zach Wamp (R-TN), a co-chair of the ReFormers Caucus, and former Secretary…
In the media
The Hill: Division reigns over Jan. 6 anniversary
Quotes ReFormers Caucus co-chair Tim Roemer and National Council on Election Integrity member Sen. Tom Daschle