Kennedy Institute launches initiative with Dole Institute to strengthen America's election infrastructure
Last month, the Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics and the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate announced a collaborative initiative to promote investment in American electoral administration and processes.
The two institutes have assembled a team of policy experts and practitioners, led by election expert Tammy Patrick, to examine why the study of funding our election systems is so difficult as compared to other government services and to highlight models of success at the local level.
This Super Tuesday, we're higlighting the first conversation from our two-day kickoff symposium hosted at the Dole Institute in Lawrence, Kansas.
Kansas election officials Jamie Shew, Douglas County Clerk, and Scott Schwab, Kansas Secretary of State, joined us to discuss the complexities caused by the different election processes among counties and the state, the issues around funding from the Help America Vote Act, and the toll of constant election fraud accusations and legal challenges on election workers and budgets.
“This partnership between the Dole and Kennedy Institutes underscores that building a resilient election process is not a partisan issue, but one our entire country must get behind.”
Adam Hinds, CEO, Kennedy Institute
“This project focuses on the fundamental resources - human and financial - that are required to administer secure and trusted elections, the foundation of our democracy.”
Audrey Coleman, Director, Dole Institute
The Dole Institute of Politics and the Kennedy Institute for the U.S. Senate are both inspired by two giants and contemporaries of the U.S. Senate. For decades, Senator Kennedy, a Democrat, and Senator Dole, a Republican, exhibited the power of bipartisan leadership, including collaborating across the aisle on the extension of the Voting Rights Act.
Starting today, we'll be highlighting videos from the Election Administration Symposium hosted on the Dole Institute YouTube channel and featuring conversations with election experts and election administrators on the impacts of insufficient funding for this vital government service.
Follow us on social media for weekly video releases from the Election Administration Symposium. Click here for more information on the Bolstering Elections project.
“The right to vote is the fundamental political right in our constitutional system. It is the cornerstone of all our other basic rights. It guarantees that our democracy will be a government of the people and by the people, not just for the people.”
