WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the Honest Elections Project announced the release of “Safeguarding Future Elections,” a major new report that lays out the comprehensive, state-led policy reforms needed to improve voting and bolster confidence in the election system. That effort is urgently needed. Dysfunction, mismanagement, and isolated instances of fraud marred the 2020 election. Rules and safeguards were eroded by an unprecedented pre-election legal blitz. States struggled to deliver accurate and timely election results, and voters began to doubt the basic credibility of the election system.
“Safeguarding Future Elections” outlines key priorities to reverse these trends and begin restoring voters’ trust by building a secure, accessible, and honest election system. The report draws on prior successful voting reforms in states like Florida to develop a set of best practices applicable to all 50 states, including:
- Securing and improving the absentee voting process
- Enhancing voter identification protections
- Ensuring timely and accurate election results
- Improving voter registration and voter roll maintenance
- Strengthening election dispute mechanisms
- Clarifying emergency authority over elections
Jason Snead, executive director of the Honest Elections Project, released this statement:
“2020 was a wakeup call. Millions of Americans harbor grave doubts about the fairness and legitimacy of elections. Reclaiming their trust must be the top priority of any election reform. That starts by restoring the rule of law, elevating our election system above partisan politics, bolstering its safeguards, and guaranteeing easy access to voting. The right to vote, and the success of our democracy, hinge on the integrity of the ballot and the credibility of elections. If we want voters to participate in democracy, it’s time to give them an election system deserving of their trust.”