Our power of the seat campaign is here.
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John,
There is no question that November will mark one of the most consequential elections of our lifetimes. Today, we will begin to lift the veil on a position that often operates behind the scenes, but that has incredible power to protect—or disrupt—American democracy.
In 38 states, the most important figure in protecting fair access to the ballot box is your secretary of state. [[link removed]] In Alaska and Utah, the lieutenant governors serve this function, and in ten other states , there is another official with this responsibility.
We saw the power that secretaries of state wield during the 2018 Georgia gubernatorial election when then-Secretary of State Brian Kemp (also the Republican candidate for governor) was accused in federal court of using the official powers of his office to suppress votes for his own electoral benefit.
Kemp denied the charges, but questions about that election’s fairness remain.
Rather than allow these important officials to operate in the background, Generation Progress is launching an effort to pull secretaries of state (or in a few places state officials with similar powers) into the spotlight. [[link removed]]
In the vast majority of states, this official is in charge of federal, state, and local elections.
We have already seen states struggle to hold safe and accessible primary elections during the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s imperative that secretaries of state take important steps now to protect democracy before November.
Tell your secretary of state (or officials with similar responsibilities) to protect our elections. [[link removed]]
TAKE ACTION [[link removed]]
Your secretary of state or chief election official has tremendous power and responsibility to provide free, fair, and safe elections.
In fact, in most states, this official can:
*
make
online
voter
registration
and
same-day
registration
available
to
all
eligible
voters
;
*
provide
all
registered
voters
with
the
option
to
vote
by
mail
(also
called
“absentee
ballot”)
without
having
an
excuse
;
*
send
mail-in-ballots
to
every
registered
voter
with
pre-paid
postage,
where
allowable
(at
minimum,
secretaries
of
state
should
send
every
registered
voter
an
application
for
a
mail-in
ballot
with
pre-paid
postage);
*
expand
early
voting
days
and
increase
the
number
of
early
polling
sites;
increase
the
number
of
polling
sites
on
election
day
to
reduce
lines
and
crowds
for
those
who
vote
in-person;
*
demand
Congress
provide
adequate
election
funding
and
allocate
that
funding
for
free
and
fair
elections.
The chaos from the recent Wisconsin primary demonstrates what happens when elected leaders fail to implement election measures to protect voters and our democracy.
Election officials, including secretaries of state in the 38 states where they are in charge of elections, must do their jobs on behalf of voters—and they must be held accountable. [[link removed]]
Thanks for being in this fight,Brent J. Cohen
Executive Director
Generation Progress
P.S. This action is part of our whole toolkit that lets you act to protect eligible voters’ access to the ballot box. Find more resources here! [[link removed]]
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