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For a girl raised on a West Virginia farm, the youngest of seven children, it may seem surprising that elections have always fascinated me.

I vividly recall accompanying my parents to the polls in a small nearby town. They would greet and chat with the poll workers and receive their ballot. I would go in the booth and carefully follow each race as my dad marked them off. When I asked why he didnt vote for someone who was running unopposed, hed reply, We dont want him to think everyone is for him, that way hell work harder.

When my older sister said she was running for student body president of her high school, and would be the first girl elected if she won, my excitement only grew. She wonand her victory set me on my own path, too. Though I lost every race for class president in my freshman, sophomore and junior year, finally won for student body president my senior year. I was hooked.

I carried that determined mindset when I auditioned to be the Mountaineer Mascot at West Virginia University. It didnt enter my mind that gender might play a role. Yet I was greeted with chants of, Back to the kitchen, go back to the kitchen and go make babies.

Despite the reaction, I was chosen to represent my university and state as the first female mascot in the universitys historya role that came with great responsibility and public outcry.

After college graduation, I continued in the public eye as a local television reporter and anchora jobthat sent me around the state telling stories of West Virginia and her people. It ultimately allowed me to cover the West Virginia legislaturean eye-opening opportunity to see up close how the legislative process works.

I knew then I had the capability of serving the people of West Virginia in elective office. Government shouldnt be a hands-off, secret system where only a few are allowed to participate. I saw the need for different voices and ideas.

So, I gave up my news anchor job and ran for secretary of state in 2004 where no incumbent was running. The 2000 presidential election, that was decided by the U.S. Supreme Court, showed us all the importance of election integrityand the need for a strong leader committed to ensuring that voters were empowered.

I lost that statewide race by 1,108 votes. If you ever wonder if your vote matters, this is proof! One more vote in each precinct and I would have won. Never deterred, four years later I ran again and won.

Serving as secretary of state was a perfect combination for me: a chance to promote the state, become an inclusive leader, innovate, take chances and push beyond expectations of the states smallest constitutional office.

Because it was a constitutional office, I had more independence and control. So, I invested in the employees by offering them training, sending them to out-of-state conferences, and providing raises where possible. This prepared them for unprecedented asks I had of them and, in turn, make our office a leader in elections across the country. We were the third state in the country to pass bipartisan automatic voter registration legislation. We implemented online voter registration, conducted a pilot project for military internet voting, and established ballot tracking measures. We improved our website for greater transparency and information and saved the office money all at the same.

I realized I do lead differently than my male counterparts. I focused on inclusion and empowerment of my team. I was content with not having all the answers and allowing others to lead projects. A true leader is one whose vision (and employees) can continue when you are not in the office.

It is not always easy being a woman leader, especially if you dont have others around you. I was fortunate to have a strong core of women whom I could trust and depend upon.

After being defeated in my third term, I joined the Brennan Center for Justice as manager for state advocacy. I am fortunate to now share my experience as a practitioner with advocates and academics who every day put their heart and soul into upholding our democracy. In addition, I am a resident fellow at the Harvard Kennedy Schools Institute of Politics where I mentor undergraduates and conduct study groups on election administration. More than academic study, its an opportunity to work with young women and men and model how they can participate and make a difference.

We need heroesand we need to be heroes, as uncomfortable and unwelcoming as it may often be. This installment of Women & Democracy uplifts many of these stories. I am proud to be in the company of these women leaders.

Care about U.S. democracy, womens leadership and fair representation? We do too. Let Ms. keep you up to date with our daily + weekly newsletters. (Or go back to the Women Saving Democracy essay collection.)

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Put Heart and Soul Into Upholding Democracy: An Election Official on What It Takes - Ms. Magazine

So Ted Budd refuses to commit to accepting the election results in November. When asked why, his campaign manager claimed without evidence that Cheri Beasley, the Democratic nominee and a former State Supreme Court justice, might try to disenfranchise voters, according to theNew York Times. Budd also voted against certifying the election after Joe Biden won.He is more committed to Donald Trump and his movement than he is to democracy or our Constitution.

I would love to see some North Carolina reporters delve more into Budds response and see if its more widespread among Republicans. How many of the Republican candidates for down ballot races are going to accept the results? Budds response should really be a focus of this campaign until hes ready to clear it up.

Budds response is disturbing, but not surprising. The GOP is radicalizing quickly as Trump continues to turn up his rhetoric. At a rally in Pennsylvania earlier this month, he called President Joe Biden an enemy of the state. In Ohio this weekend, he laid out a dystopian view of America where the FBI is engaged in police state activities and the crowd responded with a new one-armed salute, eerily reminiscent of the one seen at Nazi rallies in the 1930s.

Republicans have a long history of downplaying their worst instincts. Right now, formerly mainstream Republicans complain that the criticism of Trump is overblown and that Democrats are somehow worse. Lindsey Graham is the poster boy for the Trump GOP. He knew the truth about Trump when he said that he wouldnt vote for him in 2016. That Lindsey Graham told the truth about Trump but told a lie about himself. I think Donald Trump is going to places where very few people have gone and Im not going with him. Trump has certainly gone where very few people have gone, but Graham and the whole mainstream GOP has gone right down that road with him.Trump is exactly the same guy he was in 2016. Its the GOP that has changed.

Back before Republicans had power in North Carolina, Democrats warned that if the GOP took control of the legislature, Republicans would cut funding to schools and universities. Republicans claimed Democrats were using scare tactics and that the GOP would do no such thing. Since theyve been in power, per pupil spending has dropped and theyve dramatically cut funding to the UNC system.

In the immediate aftermath of the Dobbs decision that overturned Roe v. Wade, Republicans denied that they wanted any sort of national ban on abortion. They claimed they just wanted to give power back to the states. Now, Graham and his compatriots are calling for a national ban on abortion.

Republicans have spent decades deriding Democrats warnings about the GOP cutting social security and Medicare. They called it Mediscare and assured the voters that Republicans had no plans to cut the entitlement programs. Now, Senator Rick Scott has released his plan that would do just that.

The media needs to step up right now. They have clear questions for Budd. They have a long history of Republicans saying one thing and doing another. Now, they have candidates who could determine control of the Senate refusing to accept democracy. As Graham said, Trump has taken us where very few people have gone. Somehow, we need to get out of here.

Thomas Mills is the founder and publisher of PoliticsNC.com. Before beginning PoliticsNC, Thomas spent twenty years as a political and public affairs consultant. Learn more >

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Ted Budd is a threat to democracy - PoliticsNC

Courtesy Samir Khan

Samir Khan is an 18 year old sophomore at Cornell University. He got involved with poll work as soon as he could at 17 years old. Now, he holds the position and title of Philadelphias 8th Wards 15th Division as Judge of Elections.

In high school, Khan developed the nickname Senator Khan among his classmates for his love of talking politics. This nickname got Khan thinking could that mean something deeper than just that superficial level? Perhaps if I cultivate myself I might have the skillset to add value to America, to our country as an elected official. The summer before heading off to Cornell for his freshman year, Khan decided to do some research on how he could get politically involved in his community at such a young age and stumbled upon the position of judge of elections. The judge of elections position has been a phenomenal opportunity to really gain the experience of how to not just interact with the voters and the people but also fellow government officials and elected officials, said Khan, to really do our best to serve our community and the American population at large.

Khansjob as judge of election entails overseeing the entire election process for his district to ensure voting integrity. Since Khan was not yet 18 when he was running for the position of judge of election, his name was provisionally on the ballot, and he was later appointed with confirmation from city hall to his position. While the campaigning and initial election process was difficult for him, Khan said for other young people wanting to get involved in politics and poll work, If you have a will, there will absolutely be a way.

Khan said working the polls requires a lot of coordinated, relentless, hard work. Khan starts working Election Day around 5:45 a.m. and ends at about 10 p.m. Because of the hard work and long hours that Khan and his fellow poll workers put in, claims of fraudulent elections offend him. When I hear those sorts of claims, like the election is a fraud, I take that personally of course. This is an insult to the work of thousands of people in Philadelphia, in Pennsylvania, and the entire country.

Khan balances his life as a college student studying finance in New York and a public servant working the polls in Philadelphia through passion. He said, I dont really consider either of these things work. I think of it as my life mission to do what I do. Because I consider it something deeper than just a job or a career, it doesnt feel like something that I have to juggle, it feels like something I get to do. And when I get to do something, I want to do more of it honestly.

Until 2025, Khan will serve as judge of elections for his district. After that, there are many opportunities he might pursue. One thing that will remain important to Khan, however, is assisting and uplifting others, which he is honored to do through his role as judge of elections.

24th Ward District 5Party Affiliation:DemocratArea of Philadelphia:ChinatownRole:Multilingual interpreter

Melody Wong is a multilingual poll worker from West Philadelphia who has been working elections in Chinatown since 2009 with her mother, Jacqueline. Wong speaks both Cantonese and Mandarin. After Obama got elected, I got involved because my parents came here in the 70s and Ive been volunteering in Chinatown for a longtime, Wong said. She got interested in politics from growing up watching The West Wing, but also by being an American born citizen who grew up in Hong Kong. When I came back to the states in 2000, right after Bush vs. Gore, it really catapulted, Oh whats going on? Does our vote really matter? and what are we doing?'

Working the polls, Wong has noticed that redistricting has affected the traffic at her polling station. I have noticed a lot less people coming to our polling station because they divided up Chinatowns polling districts. Wong worries this means some community members just stay home once their polling places have been changed.

Outside of major elections, turnout is not always great according to Wong. When we get a 20% turn out rate were very happy. As a multilingual poll worker, Wong experienced microaggressions, especially as an Asian-American woman working the polls in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. As a multilingual poll worker, Wong also feels that there is cultural work to be done to promote the importance of voting in predominantly immigrant communities who had different systems or maybe didnt trust the system in their countries of origin.

While poll workers compensation has been boosted to around $250, many, like Wong, have other motivations that keep them coming back. Being a poll worker is a really good way to know your neighborhood, she said. Wong likes to stay involved and give back to her community, and she feels that working the polls is a great way to do so.

For some, working the polls is as far as they want to go politically. Wong works as a stage manager as her day job, and she has no other political aspirations other than to continue working the Chinatown polls for as long as she can. Politics are grueling and hard, [and] not a road I want to go down, said Wong. As long as Im asked to serve, I would serve. Wong sees her service as a poll worker as a way to give back to her community in a way that not many others do. If not me, who? she said. It doesnt cost me anything, and at the end to serve is fulfilling.

50th ward 4th divisionParty Affiliation:DemocratArea of Philadelphia:Mt. AiryRole:Judge of Elections

Marjorie S. Bolton is a longtime judge of elections from the Mt. Airy area of Philadelphia. She was recruited back in the 1980s by another local poll worker who noticed she voted in every election. [She] saw that I was interested and would ask different questions and she said, would you like to work on the polls? And I said sure!

Bolton was in her 30s when she started. Bolton said that one major change in the process has been the technology; shes worked with three very different types of voting machines over the years. While the changes in technology have made some things easier, it has also led to an increase of work at the polls. And then came the pandemic. COVID has changed a lot. The biggest change is that it has caused people to vote in person less, Boston said. She has noticed an increase in community members voting via mail in voting rather than coming in person to the polls on Election Day.

Bolton notes that until the city decided to raise pay for this years election, her pay had not increased much at all since the 1980s. She believes that citizens do not realize how long of a day the poll workers put in, or how much work it really takes to make sure everyone can come in and vote smoothly. It is a long day, whether they [polling places] are full of people or not, she said. Bolton and other poll workers work 14 to 17 hour days depending on their roles within the polling station, and with the new increase will get paid about $250. They [citizens] dont realize how much poll workers do to get prepared for them to vote.

Bolton said its Definitely not the money! that keeps her going back to working the polls year after year. You know what it is? she asked, Its the sense of joy that I see my community coming out to vote. Much like both Wong and Khan, Bolton gets a sense of gratification from working the polls and serving her community. I love to see that neighbor Ms. Taylor, who is 92 years old and still comes out to vote because she knows how important it is to vote, she said, I love seeing parents bringing their 18 year old children coming out to vote for the first time.

Its important to vote whether you work on the polls or not. Its important to vote, and thats maybe why I stay involved this way, because I want to see people come out and vote. After working the polls for several decades, Bolton has realized the importance of a citizens right to vote, as well as the importance of community. All politics are local! she said. Bolton wants to encourage young people, especially college students studying political science or with interest in community, government, and policy to work at the polls in order to learn more about our most basic function of democracy.

Another observation that Bolton has made about voting is that young people dont turn out in big numbers. Young people are not coming to the polls enough, she said, Everything is for you [young people] but not enough are coming to the polls, so whatever we can do to get them [young people] involved and to the polls. In past years when pay was lower, Bolton said she lost money by working the polls while she was in the midst of her teaching career since she had to take personal days. However, she would not have changed a thing. I did it because it was that rewarding to me. I dont regret it and I didnt miss the money either. Bolton said she doesnt expect to retire from election work anytime soon.

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These Philly poll workers love being a crucial part of democracy - Billy Penn

On Sept. 8, Ms. recorded a fireside chat-style discussion with Secretaries of State Shenna Bellows (Maine), Leigh Chapman (Pa.) and Tahesha Way (N.J.). The full recording is available here; here are our favorite highlights of that conversation.

New Jersey Secretary Tahesha Way:I am so privileged to serve alongside these two phenomenal, dynamic leaders who are on the front lines ensuring that eligible voters can cast their ballots safely, and of course, with integrity.

We should understand theres no cookie-cutter approach to this. I was not that little girl saying, When I grow up, I want to be secretary of state or president or even mayor of my town. I became a state judge overseeing election contested cases, and I ran for public office years ago, so that inspired me to pursue the office of secretary of state.

Pennsylvania Acting Secretary Leigh Chapman:I am an attorney by background and have dedicated my career to civil rights, racial justice, and just making sure that every eligible American in this country can register to vote, cast their ballot, and have it counted. Its an honor to be on the front lines fighting for democracy at a time when theres so much at stake.

Maine Secretary Shenna Bellows:My path was a little bit different. Im not an attorney. I grew up poor without electricity or running water until I was in the fifth grade. I thought politics was fascinating and I loved the Constitution and Bill of Rights. I literally had a poster of the Bill of Rights on my bedroom wall! One of the highlights of my childhood was when my dad took me to a state convention, and I got to meet then-Senator George Mitchell and run an errand for him.

I decided to run for elected officefirst for U.S. Senate in 2014 against Susan Collins, and then I ran successfully for my state Senate seat in 2016. In 2020 I was elected Maines first female secretary of state.

Its an honor to be on the front lines fighting for democracy at a time when theres so much at stake. Ive met people who have been impacted by voter disenfranchisement. I carry that with me, and I make decisions that will make our democracy better for everyone.

Bellows:As a woman, sexism, unfortunately, is still alive and well. I think that sometimes when we aspire to higher office, for example, when I was considering running for secretary of state, one of the charges against me was, Youre just doing this because youre so ambitiousas if ambition is a bad thing, or aspiration to make positive policy change is a bad thing. But that is something that is used to denigrate and undermine female candidates.

Chapman:One thing that grounds me every day, is just knowing what my background is, knowing where my morals and values are, and really just showing up and being my authentic self. Thats reflected in the decisions I make every day.

I bring my life experience with methe fact that I was a voting rights attorney and saw firsthand people who were shut out of the ballot box because of their race or their gender or their age or their income status. Ive put people on the witness standlike a woman in Wisconsin who was 90 years old and her daughter had to spend $2,000 in legal fees for her to get a birth certificate in order for her to get an ID to vote. So Ive met people who have been impacted by voter disenfranchisement. I carry that with me, and I make decisions that will make our democracy better for everyone.

Way:I have seen being underestimated. Ive looked back at even when I was an attorney, walking into legal proceedings, and everyone looked and said, Who are you? And I would even say, Tahesha Way for plaintiff such and such, and they still would ask me, So are you the attorney on this case?

Even when I was a state judge and I donned my robe, walking into the legal proceedings I would get those looks. And we know how to juggle, we know how to organizeIm a mom of four girls!

I thank the two of you for voting for me in as National Association of Secretaries of State president. That organization was founded 118 years ago and I was the first African American president, secretary of state, to land this role. I know there will be many more, but to be female and have done that is significant and important. I know that a female secretary of state put me in the pipeline of leadership and that, too, is meaningful.

When I was considering running for secretary of state, one of the charges against me was, Youre just doing this because youre so ambitiousas if ambition is a bad thing.

Chapman:I am the person who oversees the election for the entire Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. We provide support to the counties, we issue guidance and directives and make sure that they are operating elections in accordance with the law in Pennsylvania.

I also have a whole other portfolio of work, as wellincluding professional licensure in Pennsylvania, everyone from real estate agents to nurses to doctors to barbers, 900,000 people in total. I oversee charities and corporate registration, lobbying disclosure, and campaign finance; I advertise constitutional amendments, which we have frequently now in Pennsylvania; and I oversee mixed martial arts, professional wrestling and kickboxing, as well.

Bellows:So, Im sitting actually at Bureau of Motor Vehicles office because I oversee that agency for the state of Maine. As Secretary of State of Maine, I am responsible for all of the state records of Maine, both archival records and then also records that may be, at some point, destroyed because they dont have archival value, so theres that history piece there that I really love.

And then, of course, elections, which is so fundamental to everything else that we care about. Maine, like many of the New England states, in contrast to much of the rest of the country, administers elections at the municipal level, so our little tiny towns are running the federal elections this year, and so we need to train those 500+ clerks and deputy clerks and warden and registrars to make sure that they understand their responsibilities.

We do ballot design. We approve polling locations. We secure a statewide lease for all of the voting equipment. There is a lot that goes into being the chief elections official and protecting democracy.

Way:The secretary of state position is very essential because it touches upon the overall quality of life of our residents in terms of culture, arts, history, economy, and of course, our elections.

Democracy is indeed a team sport, and we all have to work together.

Chapman:Misinformation and disinformation. Thats something that weve seen frequently since the 2020 election in all different forms, especially on social media platforms from TikTok to Twitter to Facebook to YouTube.

The other thing I would say is our threats to election workers, and also just staffing. In Pennsylvania, weve had over 35 election workers leave their posts since the 2020 election, and some of it has been because of planned retirements or just changes in roles, but some of it has actually been because of threats.

Bellows:I could not agree more, and the disinformation, misinformation and malinformationis so dangerous because when people believe lies about the elections, when they believe that election officials do not have integrity, which they do.

The other trend that were seeing on account of disinformation and lies is Freedom of Information Act requests being weaponized. Someone recently called it a denial-of-service attack. Essentially, every hour that election officials are spending responding to cut-and-paste, ridiculous queries is an hour they cant spend on election administration.

We do ballot design. We approve polling locations. We secure a statewide lease for all of the voting equipment. There is a lot that goes into being the chief elections official and protecting democracy.

Way:Another concern is our bench of poll workers is decreasing, too. I feel for all of these election workers because theyre the front lines of our democracy. I dont think that anyone realizes the hours they come in, and how exposed they are to these threats. Its not a good feel for our society and indeed for our nation.

Bellows:We just passed legislation in Maine to protect election workers to make it a state level election crime to threaten election workers. Were also doing de-escalation training for clerks. And we are doing some of the things that we do every election, so really trying to stay focused on our values, our morals and our goalsto make sure that every Maine citizen, 18 years or older, can register to vote, cast their ballot, and have it be counted.

We just implemented automatic voter registration at the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, so when people come to get their license or update their license, they can register to vote automatically in that moment. We have an online absentee ballot tracking system, so that if people want to request an absentee ballot, they can then track its progress. Weve long had same-day voter registration and a 30-day period of no excuse absentee voting.

In short, we want to make voting convenient, accessible and secure for everyone.

Chapman:Secretary Bellows has a wish list of everything that we would like to implement in Pennsylvania! We are continuing to push for more election reform, but in Pennsylvania, we didnt even get universal mail-in voting until 2020.

What we are doing nowthe first thing I would say is countering misinformation and disinformation. We have a campaign that we are about to deploy, and its really about meeting voters where they are, so we are using every method to get information out about how to register to vote, how to cast a ballot and have it counted. That includes text messages, radio ads. We have ads at each of the rest stops on the Pennsylvania Turnpike. We are doing digital ads on Facebook and Twitter, and different social media platforms. We are really trying to do everything we can to get the accurate information out there so voters are armed with whats true.

And because there are many court decisions in Pennsylvaniatheres a lot of litigation, so rules are constantly changingwe make ourselves available to ensure counties have guidance.

Way:In New Jersey we gathered a coalition of trusted voicesfaith-based, education and business communitieswho meet on a daily basis with eligible voters. All of this is to say that democracy is indeed a team sport, and we all have to work together.

Bellows:One of the very first things that I did in my office was redecorate: Instead of hanging portraits of the white male leaders who came before me, I chose inspirational leaders throughout history who inspired meFrederick Douglass and Congressman John Lewis and Elizabeth Cady Stanton.

Chapman:Outside of my office, theres a portrait of C. Delores Tucker, the first African American woman secretary of state, and she came from Pennsylvania, so its such an honor to follow in her footsteps.

Way:One of my sheroes was Laura Wooten in New Jersey, who was the longest serving poll worker, and she was African American. She did so for 79 years straight, through the Civil Rights era, so if she can do it, then all of us canand continue to be the guardians of our democracy.

Care about U.S. democracy, womens leadership and fair representation? We do too. Let Ms. keep you up to date with our daily + weekly newsletters. (Or go back to the Women Saving Democracy essay collection.)

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'Guardians of Democracy': Women Secretaries of State Defend Voting Rights and Election Security at the State Level - Ms. Magazine

As the next European elections approach, the Renew Europe Group in the European Parliament strongly believes it is the right time to substantially strengthen European democracy and the role of European political parties and foundations. Renew Europe therefore welcomes the broad support for the work of co-rapporteur Charles Goerens MEP (Demokratesch Partei, LU) on the recast of the regulation on their statute and funding.

European political parties and foundations must be the cornerstone of European democracy, and Renew Europe aims to pave the way for stronger and more visible parties and foundations in a genuine European political sphere. This reform will empower these organisations to assume their democratic role and fully engage in European politics, as well as national campaigns related to the EU.

The recast also promotes strengthened rules on more transparent funding and a better protection of European values, such as the respect for rule of law, democracy and human rights. Lowering the co-financing rate for European political parties to 5% (even to 0% in the year of EU elections) will not only help increasing the number and intensity of their campaign activities, but also their visibility at national level. Extending membership to countries that have voting rights in the Council of Europe gives pro-European parties of our neighbours the possibility to engage in European discussions. Co-rapporteur Goerens will now engage in negotiations with the European Commission and Council to finalise the recast in time for the next European elections.

Commenting further on the negotiations, Goerens said:

"With this report, the European Parliament provides a strong basis for the creation of a truly European demos, while strengthening financial transparency in relation to European political parties and foundations. In order to guarantee increased political participation at EU-level, citizens need to have a stronger connection to European Parties. This report is one important step towards this goal."

Photo credit:Alain Rolland, European Parliament 2022

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European political parties and foundations to become cornerstone of European democracy - ALDE Party