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    Tours and Programming

    Tours – Showcasing the transparency of the electoral process

    • January 31, 2024: Tour of the Jefferson County Elections Center. The tour included a presentation of the entire voting process, including machinery, beginning with voter registration and ending with the counting of ballots, by the bipartisan staff of the Elections Center. The Tour also included an opportunity to meet Bobbie Holsclaw, currently serving her 7th term as Clerk of Jefferson County and Chair of the Board of Elections.
    • August 4, 2023: Tour of Denver Elections Division. The tour included a walk through of the facility, with up close looks at machinery, the security of the system, as well a detailed presentation on mail ballots and drop boxes.
    • October 1, 2022: Tour of the Multnomah County Elections Division. The tour included a special presentation by Oregon Secretary of State, the Honorable Shemia Fagan, who discussed the impact of vote by mail on participation and election integrity and how the ballot measure process led Oregon to be the first state in the nation to use vote by mail exclusively.
    • August 5, 2022: Tour of the Headquarters of the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners. Our group met the election officials who are standing on the front lines of democracy in the City of Chicago, Cook County, and the State of Illinois as well as the leaders of the Mikva Challenge, a program that encourages and trains high school students to work in polling places on election day.

    Programming

    Friday, May 3, 2024: Road Map to Defending Democracy

    Wanted: Democracy warriors for US elections
    Actionable steps that you can take right now to defend democracy It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3 . . .

    1. Take a tour of your local election authority to learn how our electoral process really works.

    2. Ensure the safety of election workers in your community.

    3. Volunteer as a poll worker.

    4. Volunteer to provide pro bono assistance to election workers who have been the victims of threats and harassment.

    5. Volunteer to assist with organizations engaged in nonpartisan efforts to protect fair elections and the right to vote.

     Moderator:

    • Elizabeth M. Yang, Reston, VA
      Co-Reporter, Task Force for American Democracy, American Bar Association; Chair, Elections, Democracy and Rule of Law Committee, Section of State and Local Government Law

    Speakers:

    • Stephen Cobb, Washington, DC
      Partner, Cozen O’Connor; Democracy Fellow, Section of State and Local Government Law
    • Lindsay McKenzie, New York, NY. Voting rights section Chief, New York State Office of the Attorney General
    • Aaron Tidman, Hopkinton, MA, Director and Assistant General Counsel Regulatory Compliance & Corporate Investigations, DSA Head of Compliance, Pinterest

    February 2, 2024: Stepping Up, Lawyers Defending Democracy.

    Democracy is not a partisan issue. Whether you are a Democrat, a Republican, or an Independent this program is for you. Our democracy is in peril and right now it requires all of us to step up to ensure our democracy today and for generations to come. Join us to learn the many ways available to lawyers to defend democracy. Our discussion will start with a presentation on threats to democracy and election officials by David Becker, Executive Director and Founder of the Center for Election Innovation & Research, and a member of the ABA's Task Force for American Democracy. Hear first hand of the myriad of opportunities for lawyers to defend democracy including: opportunities to provide pro bono assistance to election workers who have been the victim of threats, harassment, and other egregious actions; engage and educate their local communities about how the election process really works; serve as poll workers; and general civic engagement and public service opportunities. Just remember, it doesn't matter what path you take, just so long as you join as in Defending Democracy.

    Moderator

    Elizabeth M. Yang, Reston, VA
    Co-Reporter, Task Force for American Democracy, American Bar Association; Chair, Elections, Democracy and Rule of Law Committee, Section of State and Local Government Law

    Panelists:

    • David Becker, Washington, DC
      Founder and Executive Director, Center for Election Innovation & Research
    • Jose Castro, Denver, CO
      Associate, Spencer Fane; Chair, YLD Civic Engagement Team
    • Stephen Cobb, Washington, DC
      Partner, Cozen O’Connor; Democracy Fellow, Section of State and Local Government Law
    • Jason Kaune, San Rafael, CA
      Head Political Law Practice, Nielsen Merksamer; Chair, Standing Committee on Election Law
    • Angie Pitha, Denver, CO
      Project Lead, Election Official Legal Defense Network
    • Dr. Cynthia Swann, Washington, DC
      Chief of Staff, Hip Hop Caucus

    August 4, 2022: A Bird’s-Eye Vantage Point of Defending Democracy.

    Join an engaging discussion featuring state and local government officials holding the frontlines of defending and supporting our democratic process. Learn firsthand how election officials are preparing for challenges expected in the 2022 midterm elections, from election disinformation to physical threats against election officials, potential cyber security attacks, and partisan excoriation against election officials trying to do their jobs within the construct of complicated election procedures.

    Moderator

    • Elizabeth M. Yang, President of WStrong LLC, Reston, VA

    Panelists

    • William J. Kresse, Commissioner, Chicago Board of Elections, Chicago, IL
    • David A. Wheeler, Partner, Gerber Eisenberg, Chicago, IL