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    Our Work

    Mission Statement

    The mission of the ABA Task Force for American Democracy is to: (i) bolster voter confidence in elections by safeguarding the integrity and non-partisan administration of elections, and by providing support for election workers and officials; (ii) educate Americans on democracy and the rule of law and why they are foundational to every aspect of American lives; and (iii) suggest ideas to the American people for improving and strengthening our democracy and our elections.

    The Task Force will:

    1. Inspire and mobilize America’s duty-bound legal profession to actively support and defend American democracy, the Constitution and the rule of law.
    2. Ensure that lawyers are educated and held accountable to their professional obligations to support and defend our democracy, the Constitution, and the rule of law.
    3. Leverage the legal profession to educate the public on the reasons for, and the importance of, democracy and the rule of law.

    The American Bar Association undertakes this important work because we believe our legal profession is uniquely positioned to denounce and prevent anti-democratic practices which seek to influence or overturn election results, and to encourage the civic engagement and civil discourse vital to the protection of democracy.

    Our Report and Recommendations will highlight those democratic practices and safeguards necessary to strengthen and protect our elections, election workers and officials, and the rule of law.

    Task Force Goals

    1. Endeavor to restore voter confidence in the integrity of our elections.
    2. Work to assure the non-partisan administration of elections.
    3. Inspire and mobilize America’s uniquely positioned and duty-bound legal profession to actively support and defend American democracy, the Constitution, and rule of law.
    4. Ensure that lawyers are educated and held accountable to their professional obligations to support and defend the Constitution, the rule of law and our democracy.
    5. Leverage the legal profession to educate the public on the reasons for, and the importance of, democracy and the rule of law.
    6. Push to ensure the safety of election workers and officials and others responsible for the administration of elections.
    7. Urge civil political discourse and debate, denounce and dis-incentivize the extremist and violent political rhetoric in American politics, and seek to prevent the use of violence to replace democratic practices or to influence or overturn elections.
    8. Encourage citizen participation in democracy and the democratic process.
    9. Explore and recommend democratic solutions to the anti-democratic weaknesses in our election processes.
    10. Assess the role cyberspace can play in either promoting or corrupting the American democratic process.

    Task Force Activities

    To accomplish its objectives, the Task Force will engage legal, business and community leaders across the U.S. and will seek to build partnerships with key democracy focused NGOs to leverage their existing networks. Using these resources, the Task Force will undertake the following:

    Working Papers.

    Created in cooperation with leading national experts, these documents will seek to analyze the key challenges facing our democracy as well as propose possible solutions to be considered by the American people. Topics to be addressed include decreasing political polarization in the U.S., the use of deepfakes and misinformation in connection with elections, the politicizing of the administration of elections, assuring an independent justice system and a separation of powers, and improving civics education in all levels of American society.

    Listening Tours.

    In collaboration with local partners, the Task Force will host community listening forums in Georgia, Michigan, Arizona, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, North Carolina focused on addressing the key issues facing our democracy such as trust in elections, election worker safety, improving public dialogue and reducing polarization. We will intentionally limit the size of our convenings to encourage meaningful dialogue amongst community leaders committed to democracy. We are non-partisan and seek collaboration across the political spectrum. Based on these hosted Listening Tours, the Task Force will also create “Listening Tour Toolkits” to be provided to bar associations, institutions of higher education, and community groups around the United Sates such that they can host similar events in their communities and then report back to the Task Force on the outcomes of those sessions.

    Rapid Response Teams.

    The Task Force will create two types of Rapid Response Teams: (a) a national one comprised of Task Force members; and (b) local ones potentially in all 50 states comprised of lawyers, retired judges and district attorneys, law school deans and community leaders. The Rapid Response Teams will provide real-time public responses to emerging or potential threats to American democracy, to free and fair elections, and to the rule of law as they arise on both national and local levels during the lead up to the counting of electoral college votes on January 6, 2025.

    Strategic Communications.

    Leveraging the prominence and bi-partisan credentials of the Co-Chairs and Task Force Members and working in collaboration with third party democracy NGOs, the Task Force will seek to inform and educate the public on (a) the importance of American democracy, (b) the centrality of elections to the successful exercise of democracy principles, (c) the imperative of the rule of law in a democracy, and (d) the corrosive effects of extreme rhetoric and misinformation on political discourse.

    Report and Recommendations.

    In August of 2024, the Task Force will convene a national rule of law summit based on the findings of a published Interim Task Force Report setting forth its activities, learnings, findings, conclusions, and recommendations regarding key issues such as failures to embrace and support democratic principles, threats to the rule of law, election integrity, election worker safety, extreme and violent political rhetoric, political polarization, the urgency for return to civil political discourse, and the need for civics education at all levels of public and private education.