Ahead of the 2024 presidential primaries, the Honest Elections Project has unveiled a comprehensive report detailing 14 key reforms aimed at bolstering the integrity of the United States’ electoral process. [Source]
Titled Safeguarding Our Elections: Critical Reforms to Secure Voter Integrity and Rebuild Confidence in American Elections, the bipartisan watchdog’s recommendations come as a response to various irregularities and challenges that have arisen in recent elections.
The Honest Elections Project, known for its unwavering commitment to election integrity, has updated its original 2021 manifesto in response to alleged threats to the sanctity of the ballot box.
“The election integrity fight has changed,” asserts Jason Snead, Executive Director of the Honest Elections Project, highlighting concerns over new voting methods and funding mechanisms which, he claims, are being used to influence electoral outcomes.
Snead’s alarm is particularly directed at ranked-choice voting, “Zuckerbucks 2.0,” foreign influence through donations, and non-citizen voting.
The term “Zuckerbucks” has emerged in political discourse to describe funding from the Center for Tech and Civic Life (CTCL), criticized by some for its significant financial injections into election processes, ostensibly to boost Democrat turnout in pivotal states.
The 14 reforms advocated by the Honest Elections Project encompass a broad spectrum of electoral facets, from banning ranked-choice voting and private election funding schemes to ensuring election law is strictly the domain of elected lawmakers, not courts or bureaucrats. The report also calls for more rigorous audits, prompt and accurate election results, clean voter rolls, and the protection of mail ballots, among other measures.
One reform that stands out for its direct challenge to the status quo is the insistence that “Lawmakers, not courts and bureaucrats, make the laws that govern elections.” This stance comes in the wake of contentious legal battles that have seen election laws altered or challenged, often leading to widespread debate and discord.
The report doesn’t shy away from naming figures such as Marc Elias, a lawyer often associated with Democratic causes, accusing him and similar entities of using litigation to “weaken and rewrite election laws for political gain.”
This critique is supported by data from The Amistad Project, which reviewed over 400 cases related to the 2020 election, revealing a landscape rife with legal maneuvers and their impacts on election integrity.
Looking ahead, Snead warns of “a torrent of left-wing litigation” poised to disrupt the 2024 elections. His commentary reflects a broader concern within the Republican community about the stability and fairness of the electoral process, especially in light of the chaotic 2020 election cycle.
Amid these contentious debates, ranked-choice voting (RCV) emerges as a particular bone of contention. Proponents, like FairVote, argue that RCV ensures majority rule, promotes positive campaigning, and broadens voter choice.
However, critics, including Snead, argue that it complicates the voting process and necessitates “more dark money” in politics due to the need for candidates to secure second and third-place votes indirectly.
The Honest Elections Project’s report is not just a blueprint for potential legislative action but a rallying cry for those concerned about the direction of American democracy. As states like Alaska and Maine experiment with RCV and others move to ban it, the debate over how best to conduct elections remains as vibrant and contentious as ever. [Source]
Here are the 14 reforms the report recommends states should make:
- Ban Ranked-Choice Voting
- Block “Zuck Bucks 2.0” and Other Private Election Funding Schemes
- Stop Foreign Influence in Elections
- Require Transparency and Robust Post-Election Audits
- Ban Non-Citizen Voting in All Elections
- Consolidate Election Dates
- Ensure that Elected Lawmakers Write Election Laws
- Require Prompt and Accurate Election Results
- Maintain Clean and Accurate Voter Rolls
- Protect the Integrity of the Voter Registration Process
- Secure Early and Mail Voting Laws
- Protect Vulnerable Mail Ballots
- Require Voter ID for Every Ballot
- Investigate and Prosecute Election Crimes
The Honest Elections Project’s report serves as a critical examination of the vulnerabilities and challenges facing the U.S. electoral system, advocating for a return to principles that ensure confidence, transparency, and integrity in the process of casting and counting votes.