In the shock and fear of the January 6 insurrection, it’s easy to forget what exactly Donald Trump and his mob were trying to do: halt the certification of the election and implement the false electors scheme, usurping the Presidency.
That day was the first many people learned about the many processes that take place after votes are cast to confirm the winner of an election — but it wasn’t the first time, and certainly has not been the last, that Trump and his allies set their sights on undermining our democracy by tampering with counting and certification processes.
In the aftermath of January 6, it was clear that beyond attacking the right to vote and access to the polls, Trump and those who will stop at nothing to put him in power are also turning their attention to corrupting the local-level counting and certification processes. These processes, until very recently, have taken place without much attention.
That’s why Informing Democracy is committed to shining a light on these processes, and the local officials whose job it is to uphold them, in order to fill this critical information gap.
Since the insurrection, we’ve continued to see anti-democracy actors attempt to spread misinformation and undermine the certification process, taking advantage of the lack of information to foment uncertainty and distrust in our systems. And with Donald Trump behind the megaphone emboldening his allies, these attacks will only grow in 2024.
This year, we will release updated reports on the counting and certification processes in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Virginia, as well as sharing new reports in Nevada, Florida, Ohio, and Texas. We’ll also catalog and analyze the election officials who govern these processes — and identify the ones who raise concerns.
Our mission is to fill the void of information on these critical processes and personnel and provide an early warning system that allows our partners to take proactive steps to protect the outcome of our elections. Because with Trump just gearing up, and already using dog-whistle language like “guard the vote,” this work is more urgent than ever before.
We are grateful to work alongside partners and allies in this important mission, and to continue to fight to protect the foundation of our democracy — the vote. Thanks for being a part of this work.
- The Informing Democracy Team