Even though election deniers were widely rejected in the 2022 midterms, they remain a real and growing threat to American democracy. Many of the tactics they deployed in the last election cycle — such as trying to win control of election administration, refusing to concede, and spreading disinformation — are already being recycled for the 2024 election. The good news is that we know how to combat these threats and strengthen our democratic systems. Read more

The lies of a stolen election in 2020 sparked a wave of violence against election officials, with a 2023 Brennan Center survey finding that 30 percent of local election officials had faced threats and abuse. Many in the field expect these dangers to persist, and 11 percent of officials said they would likely quit their jobs before the 2024 election. However, the results of the poll offer “some clues as to what can be done to staunch the bleeding and offer support where it is needed most, particularly to the field’s newest members,” Ruby Edlin and Lawrence Norden write. Read more

Our election systems have become increasingly vulnerable to evolving foreign and domestic threats. From the heightened risk of cyberattacks to the ease with which artificial intelligence tools can be used to undermine voting rights and election outcomes, securing the upcoming election will be a challenge. Among other key measures, federal agencies must allocate more resources to bolster election security, and state legislatures will need to strengthen existing protections for voters, election workers, and election systems. “American democracy depends on it,” Derek Tisler and Lawrence Norden write. Read more

After the failed coup attempt in 2020, many election officials worry that the risk of political interference still looms over our elections. Preventing future sabotage efforts requires accountability for those who violate laws prohibiting interference with election results. The prosecutions of former President Trump and others for attempting to overturn his 2020 defeat send a crucial message that no one is above the law. Read more

In recent weeks, Trump has threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act if reelected, which would let him use the military to quell public protests against him. A threat like this is entirely plausible given the overbroad, nearly unchecked powers offered by this dangerous law. “What’s needed is legislative reform that meaningfully guards against such abuse while preserving the ability to deploy troops in a true crisis,” Elizabeth Goitein and Joseph Nunn write. Read more

National legislation would strengthen voting rights, promote fair elections, and drain the conspiracy theories of their power. Congress came achingly close in 2022. The Freedom to Vote Act and John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act passed the House and had majority support in the Senate but fell to a threatened filibuster. The measures would set national standards, implement automatic voter registration, ban gerrymandering, expose dark money in politics, and restore the nation’s most effective law against racial discrimination in voting. In 2024, voters must make sure that politicians pledge to prioritize these affirmative reforms. Read more

• Elizabeth Goitein on presidential powers // NEW YORK TIMES
• Ciara Torres-Spelliscy on the Colorado Supreme Court decision removing Trump from the primary ballot // STATE COURT REPORT
• Daniel Weiner on the Federal Election Commission’s new rules for candidate salaries // ROLL CALL