“Is federal oversight really needed in Michigan’s 2026 elections?

Should election officials be focused on conflicts of interest instead?🤔

ERN's Kevin Johnson and The Ford Foundation's Jeff Polet on what steps should be taken instead.

#MichiganPolitics #ElectionIntegrity

If election officials can fundraise, endorse candidates, or run for partisan office while overseeing elections… public trust suffers.

The Carter-Baker report said this plainly in 2005.

We still need to listen.

🔗 bit.ly/4a0RwDs

Defending the Majesty of the Democratic System The words that end dictatorship

People in Togo risked their lives for a real vote.

In America, we risk losing trust in ours.

Kevin Johnson reflects on his time bringing elections to places of political violence — and what it means to defend democracy now.

democracyguardrail.substack.com/p/defending-...

Conflict of Interest in Election Governance: The Obscure Problem You Ought to Be Worried About Competing teams shouldn’t pick the referees

“It’s like letting competing teams pick the referees.”
— Kevin Johnson,
@ERN_Reformers

Why partisan control over election governance is democracy’s quiet crisis → bit.ly/47SLnXe

#ElectionReform #democracy

The midterm ballot measure battles have already begun • Stateline A year out from the 2026 midterm elections, legal fights and procedural maneuvering over ballot measures and referendums are already well underway in states across the country.

🗳️ The 2026 battle starts now—and it’s not just about polling places or mail ballots.

“There are elements of our system that allow partisan manipulation… in the domains that control options voters have,” says Kevin Johnson of ERN.

Read more 📰→ bit.ly/43qBgHW

#Election2026

When 90% of congressional seats are uncompetitive, the problem isn’t who wins—it’s that voters no longer have real choices.

A few extra seats in 2026 won’t save democracy if the system itself stays rigged.

Read our op-ed on @ivn ➡️ ivn.us/posts/after-...

Fair Districts Everywhere Must Be the Goal Following California’s Prop 50 Result A few more seats for one side won’t save democracy

A few more seats for one side won’t save democracy.

California’s Prop 50 may be understandable—but it’s still a warning.

Gerrymandering is not the solution to gerrymandering.

Read the full piece: theguardrail1.substack.com/p/fair-distr...

#FairMaps #Democracy #Redistricting #ElectionReform

When Checks & Balances Break Down: How to Hold Power Accountable Sept. 30, 2025 YouTube video by Election Reformers Network

The Founders built checks and balances — not parties.
Today, polarization is breaking the system.
Watch how ERN’s experts propose rebuilding modern guardrails for democracy 👉 www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysaA...
#Democracy #Reform #ElectionIntegrity

'America First' Doesn't Mean Ignoring Democracy Abroad "Standing up for democracy and standing against authoritarians is a core American value," writes Jason Carter.

👏 Credit to Jason Carter for his powerful TIME op-ed on America’s retreat from defending democracy abroad.

He’s right: when the U.S. steps back, authoritarian regimes step forward.
🔗 time.com/7314394/amer...

#democracy #foreignpolicy

The Hidden Causes (and Higher Stakes) of the Gerrymandering Crisis We’re here because partisan electoral institutions failed us. They must be fixed before it’s too late.

America’s Achilles’ heel: politicians control the rules of their own elections.

No other democracy does this.

It’s fueling the gerrymandering crisis—and risking collapse.

Read about our solutions:

🔗 substack.com/home/post/p-...

#redistricting #redistrictingwars #gerrymandering

Glenn Nye's op-ed in The Hill is spot on: elections shouldn’t be refereed by team members. 🇺🇸 The U.S. is the only democracy that elects top election officials by party. ERN shows how nonpartisan leaders can boost trust + fairness: bit.ly/424FUKJ
thehill.com/opinion/camp...

Newsom and Trump threaten the foundations of democracy by doubling down on gerrymandering. Plus, ERN releases a statement in support of overseas elections. #democracy #independentredistricting
mailchi.mp/6024f89d31e5...

Defending Citizen Initiatives: New ERN Report Shows Bipartisan Support for Ballot Measures Explore how voters across the political spectrum united to defend citizen ballot initiatives in the 2024 election. Download the Election Reformers Network's latest report on protecting direct democrac...

NEW REPORT: Amid rising polarization, a surprising truth—Americans across party lines are uniting to defend citizen initiatives. 🗳️📊
Read the full @ElectionReformers report: bit.ly/4kMdRHn
#CitizenInitiatives #DirectDemocracy #ElectionIntegrity

Our elections are under threat — and this week, your help can go twice as far!

We’re 80% of the way to unlocking a $35,000 match, and we need your help to close the gap.

If you believe in safeguarding elections from partisanship and chaos, now’s the time to give: www.electionreformers.org/donate

Stopping the Descent Toward Banana Republic Elections President Trump’s election-related executive order begins by pointing out practices in Canada, Sweden, Brazil, and elsewhere that outperform the U.S. But it is Trump’s order itself that really demonst...

In this op-ed, ERN discusses concrete steps to "stop the descent toward banana republic elections." Trump's dangerous election decree and the SAVE Act should be stopped in Washington, but they will still pressure Republican officials who run state elections.
bit.ly/3EKv5Ff

"Crises averted" doesn't make headlines but explains why foreign aid is totally worthwhile, Brian Atwood, who serves on ERN's Advisory Council, notes. DOGE is now shutting down systems that helped the US prevent 20M famine deaths in Africa. That's pennywise but dollars-and-humanity-stupid.