You’re invited to join Defenders of Democracy, a group of the Brennan Center’s most loyal supporters who sustain our work through a monthly gift. With your support, we can work harder to make sure every eligible voter’s voice is heard this November — whether they vote early, by mail, or in person. We can fight against racist voter suppression, push back on lies about voter fraud, and be there for election officials across the country who are working overtime to make sure the election is safe and secure.

Bad actors — both foreign and domestic — are spreading false information online in order to deter people from voting. These voter suppression tactics often target historically underrepresented voters, including people of color, low-income people, and immigrants. And Covid-19 has only intensified this threat. While election officials, internet companies, and the federal government are all responsible for combating digital disinformation, the public also has an important role to play. Here’s how you can identify disinformation about voting and take action to curb the spread.

We don’t know whether the Kenosha Police Department has direct connections to active white supremacist groups. However, the FBI has warned for decades that violent white supremacist and far-right militant groups often have links to law enforcement. A number of officers across the country have flaunted their affiliation with far-right militant groups during the protests following the murder of George Floyd. We need action at a national level.

In response to the police shooting of Jacob Blake, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers called the state legislature into a special session to take up a package of police reform bills. But Republicans — who have a near supermajority thanks to wildly gerrymandered maps drawn behind closed doors — have shown little interest in advancing even moderate police accountability measures. The Wisconsin State Legislature’s failure to respond to this issue demonstrates the real consequences of legislative maps that prioritize the interests of partisan politicians over those of the people.

Wisconsin isn’t the only state where gerrymandered districts silence constituents. In Missouri, lawmakers want to dismantle the Clean Missouri redistricting reforms passed by voters in 2018. This would bring back a deeply flawed redistricting system that was rife with deadlock and abuse, and lawmakers want to do it with a misleading ballot resolution. The Brennan Center, along with other national and Missouri-based organizations, is fighting back.

The looming crisis at the postal service would be especially devastating for people in prison who depend on mail to contact their loved ones and legal counsel. The right to mail is so fundamental for the incarcerated that it’s included in the United Nations’ minimum rules for the treatment of prisoners and the Geneva Convention. Congress must continue to monitor the administration of the USPS to ensure continued services for everyone.

Last week, we celebrated Women’s Equality Day. Women are now the majority of the U.S. electorate, and while the numbers show that women participate voraciously in civic life and outnumber men at the polls, representation in the halls of power continues to lag. In order for women’s voting voice to become an equal voice in decision making, the systems themselves must be part of the solution. This will require reforms such as public financing of elections, an end to voter suppression, and reproductive justice.

VIRTUAL EVENT: Getting ‘Election Night’ Right
Thursday, September 10 | 12:00 p.m.–1:00 p.m. EDT
Join Stephen Engelberg (editor in chief of ProPublica), Amy Walter (national editor of The Cook Political Report, host of The Takeaway: Politics With Amy Walter), Abby Phillip (political correspondent at CNN), and Brennan Center President Michael Waldman for a conversation about the journalistic missteps of the last presidential cycle and how to ensure fair, accurate, and comprehensive reporting. What lessons has the press learned coming out of 2016, and why is it so crucial that journalists get things right this time around? RSVP today.
This event is produced in partnership with ProPublica and New York University’s John Brademas Center.

What We’re Reading
Ian Vandewalker, Senior Counsel in the Brennan Center’s Democracy program, recommends Black Voters Are Being Targeted in Disinformation Campaigns, Echoing the 2016 Russian Playbook. The article describes how disinformation campaigns emanating from Iran, China, Russia, and Romania are using the Black Lives Matter movement to spread lies and deter Black voters.