Mediaboss Marketing

When Power the Polls launched in 2020, the nonpartisan nonprofit aimed to recruit 250,000 people to sign up as poll workers around the country during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The response was overwhelming. Power the Polls, through its partnerships with about 200 nonprofit organizations and businesses, estimates it recruited more than 700,000 prospective poll workers. Jane Slusser, program manager for Power the Polls, said 97 percent of those sign-ups were people who had never been a poll worker before. She said afterward, many expressed an interest in doing the work again.

Overwhelmingly, people were like, Now I'm a poll worker for life. It was a tough day, but it was one of the most rewarding things I ever did, she said.

Poll workers the people, sometimes paid and sometimes not, who help voters check in, manage lines, troubleshoot equipment or assist with office duties have historically been older women, though data is limited.

Power the Polls wants to help election administrators recruit poll workers again amid new challenges. The election system is being tested in the face of lies spread by former President Donald Trump and his allies about widespread voter fraud, and members of the majority-women election official workforce have faced threats.

Despite those challenges, Slusser emphasized the joy that comes from being a poll worker.

I live across from my polling location, so I always go over there on Election Day to thank everybody. Its like a party going on, she said. So I think it's something that seems serious, but it's actually also this really fun community thing that you're able to do with your neighbors.

Power the Polls recruitment efforts, which includes finding more young people to step up, kick off in earnest with a national recruitment day on Tuesday, which is recognized by the federal government.

Slusser spoke to The 19th about the sprint to the 2022 midterms and how she already has her eyes on whats to come after November not just the 2024 presidential election but smaller state and local races in 2023.

It's not a one-year solution, she said about poll worker recruitment. It's really something that's going to be recurring all the time.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Barbara Rodriguez: Why is poll worker recruitment so important for America's elections?

Jane Slusser: Poll workers are really sort of essential workers of democracy, and they make sure that the basic act of being able to cast your ballot is available to everybody. Without enough poll workers staffing a location, those polling locations can be shut down. Which means a voter who may only have had to walk two blocks to their polling location now has to drive 20 minutes, and that's not great.

Poll workers need to staff locations so that we don't have things like long lines. Somebody who doesn't have time to wait in line cant vote, and theyre disenfranchised because of that. Voters need assistance, whether that is just checking in and the simple things that a voter needs. Or voters that have special disabilities that require more assistance, voters that require language assistance. Anything like that requires a poll worker to be there to help make sure that that person can cast their ballot. So really without poll workers, being able to vote in person can't happen.

What exactly are the challenges to recruiting poll workers?

When we were first founded in 2020, a lot of the challenge there was just people being concerned about their health. The average age of a poll worker is over 60. Back then, it was just very much focused on health.

I think now, this year, one of the challenges is awareness. Folks are not aware that this is an opportunity, that they need to step up. The other big challenge is election administrators are often trying to do this with very limited resources. So you read about people having a hard time hiring folks in general election administrators are no different. But sometimes they're doing it with even fewer resources than a normal business.

And then I think one of the biggest hurdles to becoming a poll worker that we've heard, that sort of keeps people who are interested from actually being able to go through with it, is that it requires an enormous time commitment on the day of Election Day. So there's early voting and there's Election Day poll workers. Often, early voting, there are requirements that mean that people need to come back over the course of two weeks. And sometimes people can't do that because they have other commitments in their life. They've got kids, they've got a job. So they can't do that. And then some folks are not able to sort of meet the physical demands of waking up and being at a polling location from 6 a.m until 10 p.m.

I want to give space to some of the general coverage emerging about poll worker shortages or concerns of the ongoing effects of the 2020 election when it comes to unfounded allegations of widespread voter fraud and what kind of effect that might have on people wanting to be poll workers. What role is that playing, and what is important to keep in mind about that narrative?

I do think one thing that's important to keep in mind about that narrative is not to let it sort of overrun things and discourage folks and make them have concerns about serving as a poll worker. This is something that is safe.

One of the things that we have found we monitor when people sign up with us is sometimes people don't finish their applications and then they tell us why. Sometimes we hear people say, Oh, I read a story about safety and that's why they're not able to do this.

More often than not, people say, I read about that. And that's why I think it's important for people like me to step up, because I feel safe doing this. I'm not politically motivated. I don't care who you're voting for. I just care that you're able to vote. And so I think that in some cases it actually becomes more motivating to people.

We're obviously a nonpartisan initiative. So I think the folks signing up with us, they just want to be good neighbors in their community and they come at it with that perspective.

From a logistical standpoint, is there more to better explain to readers what the need is in terms of poll workers? When we talk about a shortage, is there an actual way to measure that?

We identify shortages through a couple of different methods. We monitor media coverage around when administrators say that they have a shortage. And we also reach out to them through our own outreach and through partners.

In some places, like for instance in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, that's a big county. They're always going to need a ton of poll workers, they need thousands of poll workers. And so we kind of know that and we check in about that. But we also identify some places that are much smaller where the gap is only 25 individuals. But if those 25 individuals arent in town, that could be the entire half of a county not able to have a polling location. So we share that information out as we're doing recruitment.

Theres two, I think, important qualities that we've heard just across the board that are very important to administrators as they're looking to recruit people. One is the need for people who are bilingual to provide language access. We have over 200 jurisdictions looking for Spanish-language speakers that we've identified, and roughly 75 other locations that are looking for at least 45 more languages. So if you speak two languages, that's great because you're able to provide assistance for folks in that other language as well.

The other big need that we hear a lot is around tech savviness. That means you're comfortable operating an iPad or a smartphone because a lot of voting machines now are more technology-based.

Is there more to better explain what Power the Polls is doing between now and the midterm elections to recruit poll workers and what that outreach looks like?

So August 16 is our big day, Poll Worker Recruitment Day. That's sort of an opportunity for us to link up with the businesses and the nonprofits and the many election administrators across the country who need to recruit poll workers. It's also an opportunity for us to get awareness out through celebrities and social media so that folks really become aware of this, and are able to get their applications in as early as possible so that they can get trained and they can be in the process for administrators to get them placed as poll workers.

We will have a lot of recruitment happen basically through early- to mid-September. Then the month of October in most places means that people are getting trained, they're getting their assignments. They ask all their last-minute questions and then they're ready to go for Election Day in November, or they're already starting to serve where places have early voting.

Is there anything else that I haven't asked you that you think would be important for folks to keep in mind about poll workers and the midterms?

One of the reasons why we see shortages happening this year is people pay more attention to elections in a presidential year sometimes than they do in the midterm election.

You need to participate in democracy every single election that you can. Poll workers are really needed not just in those big years, but also in the midterms and also in your local elections. If you are thinking about being a poll worker, signing up to work in a midterm and then signing up to work in your local election is a good way to get that experience before you are faced with some of those presidential turnout numbers, which can be more intimidating when you have a really busy polling place.

The final thing that I would say: Not everybody is able to become a poll worker. It's a hard day. I just got an email that I was looking over from a woman who was like, I'm the primary caregiver for my daughter, and I just realized that I can't actually commit to be somewhere from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. As a new mom myself, I completely understood that. So one of the most important things is if you aren't able to be a poll worker now, think about being one in the future. Think about recruiting other people, but also just think about being appreciative of the people that do step up and serve in those roles. These are folks that are just trying to help out in their community, and it's really important for us to applaud them. When you go in and vote, thank them. Understand how early they woke up and how hard this job is for them to do and they're only doing it so that you can exercise your right to vote.

Originally published by The 19th

Read more:
Recruiting the 'Essential Workers of Democracy': Group Aims to Sign up Poll Workers Ahead of Midterms - GovExec.com

Think white Christian nationalism is the most dangerous form of identity politics in the democratic world?

Meet Hindu nationalism, which is systematically destroying secular democracy and civil society in India.

I sincerely regret raining on the parade of modern Indias 75th birthday, which it celebrated Aug. 15, marking the stroke of midnight on that day in 1947 when the nation finally gained independence from nearly 200 years of British colonial rule.

It was one of the most historic moments of the tumultuous 20th century. England, exhausted and cash-strapped from the destruction of World War II, began to shed its former colonies. India, long the crown jewel of the British empire, was perhaps the hardest to let go. But the determined independence movement led by Mohandas K. Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and others triumphed at last.

A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends, and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance, declared Nehru, Indias first prime minister, at the birth of the nation.

Nehrus latest successor, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, celebrated the national birthday in a grand ceremony in New Delhi Aug. 15. The way the world is seeing India is changing, he said. There is hope from India, and the reason is the skills of 1.3 billion Indians. The diversity of India is our strength. Being the mother of democracy gives India the inherent power to scale new heights.

To be sure, India has made huge strides since 1947. Life expectancy has doubled, to 70. The land once known mostly for poverty and famine now boasts a $3 trillion annual GDP (2021), fifth largest in the world. Grinding poverty still stalks Indias vast network of villages, but a huge urban middle class now produces legions of highly educated young professionals. India seeks to lead the world in high-tech and other fields.

India will surpass China as the worlds most-populous nation next year, according to U.N. projections. And it has a much better chance to provide a decent living for its people than in past generations.

In his address, Modi called on young Indians to make India a fully developed country within 25 years and realize the nations dreams.

But what are those dreams? If you look at current Indian politics, you wont find much of the diversity Modi trumpeted.

Gandhi and Nehru, modern Indias founding fathers, both were Hindu. But they envisioned a free, secular democracy, liberated from religious and sectarian violence, where the Hindu majority would live in peace and prosperity beside Muslims, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Christians and other minorities within Indias staggering ethnic and religious kaleidoscope.

Article 25 of the Indian constitution, adopted in 1949, enshrined freedom of conscience and the right freely to profess, practice and propagate religion. Sounds almost like the religious freedom provision of our own First Amendment, championed by James Madison and Thomas Jefferson after they witnessed the persecution of Virginia Baptists by the then-state religion, Anglicanism.

But those ideals havent prevented 13 Indian states from passing anti-conversion laws in recent years, which bar Indians from converting anyone from their indigenous religion to another faith to say nothing of the increasingly systemic discrimination and hatred directed toward Indias Muslims nationwide.

The two founding giants of modern India are barely mentioned these days. When they are mentioned, Gandhi and Nehru often get sneers of contempt from political leaders. Modi, whose ruling BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) won landslide reelection in 2019, leads an aggressively populist, Hindu nationalist movement that has little use for secularism or diversity. Modi claims to be focused on economic and social progress for all Indians but increasingly styles himself as the all-wise, all-knowing leader of a quasi-religious cult of personality.

Rather than Gandhis nonviolent campaigns which inspired Martin Luther King Jr. and fueled the U.S. Civil Rights movement Modi and other BJP politicians celebrate the militant freedom fighters who broke with Gandhi and fought the British with guns. Bollywood is following their lead. A recent three-hour movie blockbuster, RRR, broke box office records by celebrating a fictional hero who uses a bow from a shrine to the Hindu god Ram to kill the British oppressors. In the obligatory song-and-dance climax, he glorifies actual Indian revolutionaries. No mention of Gandhi.

What happened to Indias idealistic march toward peace, unity and ethnic and religious equality? Hindutva.

Thats the political-religious philosophy of Hindu nationalism as codified by Indian politician V.D. Savarkar in his 1928 book, Hindutva: Who is a Hindu? Hindus are the true sons of the soil and India is their holy land, he declared. All other people in the nation are second-class citizens at best especially Muslims, the one-time rulers, (read: oppressors) of the Indian subcontinent during the Mughal Empire of the 16th to 19th centuries. The Mughals exercised their own brand of religious intolerance, and Hindus never forgot it.

Hindus and Muslims have struggled for power for centuries in India, and that enmity couldnt be swept aside by a wave of modernitys magic wand.

Hindus and Muslims have struggled for power for centuries in India, and that enmity couldnt be swept aside by a wave of modernitys magic wand. Neither could modernity cleanse the poisonous legacy of Hinduisms 2,000-year-old caste system, one of historys most rigid class structures, which sentenced whole layers of humanity to eternal servitude below the priestly Brahmins and a few other high castes. The caste system was officially outlawed in India in 1950. But its pervasive influence persists, even among the Indian diaspora scattered around the globe.

Hindutva in its current, virulent form is essentially a modern repackaging of the Hindu domination of old. Its designed to work the masses into violent hysteria in order to preserve high-caste Hindu rule from New Delhi to the villages and advance the careers of Hindu nationalist politicians. (In this sense its similar to American racial hatred and the anti-immigrant campaigns ginned up to convince working-class whites they are losing their jobs and social position to minorities and foreigners.)

And never forget Partition, the division of India, which also occurred on that historic day of independence in 1947. With Englands and Indias agreement, the new nation of Pakistan was born under the leadership of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, leader of the All-India Muslim League. Millions of Hindus flowed south from Pakistan as Muslims moved north across the new border. As many as 2 million people died in that bloody upheaval as neighbors who once had lived in relative peace attacked each other in spasms of ethnic-religious slaughter partly due to ancient animosities and score settling, partly due to Englands hasty exit and even hastier drawing of the new India-Pakistan border. The two nations remain hostile, have fought several wars, and now possess nuclear weapons.

After Partition, some 35 million Muslims remained in India. They now number 200 million, or 15% of the population, by far Indias largest minority. They have become the primary but not the only target of Hindu nationalists.

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), an extreme Hindu nationalist paramilitary organization formed in 1925, has long terrorized non-Hindus.

It was banned once during British rule and three times since independence including 1948, when former RSS member Nathuram Godse assassinated Mohandas Gandhi. Narendra Modi, by the way, joined the RSS in 1978. The now-ruling BJP, formed in 1980, is closely linked to the RSS.

The BJP has steadily gained national power as the once-dominant Indian National Congress party of the Gandhis (Indira and Rajiv) has weakened. Until Congress rises again, or another power center emerges, the BJP runs the show.

Meanwhile, Hindu mobs regularly attack Muslim communities and mosques. Local governments use bulldozer justice to flatten Muslim homes and businesses in areas where Muslims are accused, on any pretext, of making trouble. Muslims face discrimination in housing, employment, access to health care and education, and political representation.

In 2019, the government revoked the special status autonomy of Kashmir, Indias only Muslim-majority region, split the state in two and increased its repressive rule there. That same year, the government amended the National Register of Citizens, which observers say could render millions of Muslims stateless if it is applied nationwide. Muslims were widely and unfairly blamed for spreading the COVID virus, which led to a harsh national shutdown that drove millions of poor urban workers to walk long distances to their home villages.

Ominously, some BJP politicians most notoriously Amit Shah, minister of home affairs regularly make statements that seem to promote hatred and even genocide against Muslims. Modi, who was denounced in 2002 for inaction (or tacit support) when at least 1,000 Muslims were massacred in the state of Gujarat during sectarian riots under his chief ministership, rationalizes such statements or changes the subject.

Christians, who number about 28 million, are a far smaller minority in India. But they havent escaped persecution from Hindu extremists, which they warn is getting worse by the day. Churches in some areas face mob attack when they meet for worship. Often, the pastors are arrested after the attacks, not Hindu mob leaders.

We are very much afraid because of this BJP government. We are not able to openly share the gospel, not able to go and distribute the Bibles.

For the past nine years, we have faced a lot of persecution in India, reports an Indian Christian friend of mine who leads village evangelism efforts. A lot of pastors have been killed. We are very much afraid because of this BJP government. We are not able to openly share the gospel, not able to go and distribute the Bibles. We dont have freedom as Christians. So pray that God will open the doors, that we will have freedom to share openly.

The latest anti-conversion law, recently issued by decree in the state of Karnataka despite opposition from Christians and others, bans religious conversions that are forced, under undue influence, by coercion, deception or any fraudulent means which offers an absurdly wide latitude for interpretation. Offenders face up to 10 years in prison.

The government attempt to get this bill passed despite strong opposition from the Christian community and the united opposition parties who opposed the bill on the house floor, shows the governments intent, said Atul Aghamkar of the Evangelical Fellowship of India. He charged the government action would allow the vigilante groups to have the freedom to attack Christians, destroy Christian institutions, and create an atmosphere of fear to subjugate the Christian community.

Such laws began to appear when Hindu groups grew alarmed at the rapid spread of Christianity among lower-caste Hindus, Dalits (untouchables) and tribal peoples across India. Many areas have seen forced reconversions of Christians to Hinduism, called homecomings.

The situation is different in each state, says another Indian Christian leader I know. In states where conversion is banned by law, believers do continue to share the gospel. My sources tell me many Hindus are turning to Christ despite the opposition in both rural and urban settings. The nation is moving fast toward Hindu nationalism, and the impact of that can be felt everywhere. But the work of the Lord continues in the midst of all this.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken recently called for an end to extremist attacks on Indian religious minorities. But dont hold your breath for the Biden administration to exert any real pressure on the Indian government to take action. Joe Biden is working hard to strengthen The Quad (or Quadrilateral Security Dialogue), a strategic partnership between the United States, India, Australia and Japan to counter Chinas growing assertiveness in Asia. Hes also trying to woo India away from buying Russian oil and gas as the Russia-Ukraine war unfolds. Modi will play his geopolitical hand for all its worth.

India is engaging in a very, very dangerous experiment in religious populism, with the future of Indian democracy and many millions of lives at stake.

For the time being, then, India is engaging in a very, very dangerous experiment in religious populism, with the future of Indian democracy and many millions of lives at stake.

Renowned Indian author Arundhati Roy, who has fearlessly denounced Hindu nationalism and BJP rule for years, sees it as an experiment that inevitably will fail.

Indias tragedy is not that its the worst place in the world its that we are on our way there, she said in a June interview with CNN. Were burning down our house. India is an experiment that is failing dangerously.

You cannot be a democracy when 200 million people who constitute a religious minority are expected to live without rights. When you can lynch them, kill them, incarcerate them, economically and socially boycott them, bulldoze their homes with complete immunity and threaten to strip them of citizenship. When the murderers and lynchers can aspire to move swiftly up the political ladder.

To hold power, she warned, the BJP must create an artificial majority out of a very diverse Hindu community that consists of thousands of castes and ethnicities. The cement for that is engineering hatred of a common enemy.

For the sake of human freedom and religious liberty everywhere, let us pray that the Hindu nationalists fail and that the 1947 dream of a free and democratic India prevails.

Erich Bridges, a Baptist journalist for more than 40 years, retired in 2016 as global correspondent for the Southern Baptist Conventions International Mission Board. He lives in Richmond, Va.

Follow this link:
India at 75: The world's largest democracy is dying of toxic nationalism - Baptist News Global

Secretary General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, has called attention to the serious obstacles facing democracy in Nicaragua and expressed grave concerns over the attacks against the Church and civil society organizations. Meanwhile, messages of solidarity from around the world are reaching the Bishop of Matagalpa and the Nicaraguan Church.

By Vatican News

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has expressed his grave concern over what he termed the serious obstruction of democratic and civil life in Nicaragua and recent actions taken by the government against civil society organizations, including those of the Catholic Church, such as the overnight raid by national police on the Episcopal headquarters in Matagalpa. Spokesman Farhan Haq conveyed this message during a press conference at the UN.

The spokesman said UN Secretary General Guterres calls once again on the government of Daniel Ortega to ensure the protection of the human rights of all citizens, in particular the universal rights of peaceful assembly, freedom of association, thought, conscience and religion, while calling for the release of all those arbitrarily detained.

Yesterday, the Nicaraguan national police carried out an overnight raid on the Diocesan headquarters of Matagalpa, forcibly taking nine people, including Bishop Rolando lvarez, and transferring them to Managua. The prelate is now under house arrest at his residence in the Nicaraguan capital, while the other eight are in custody pending investigation.

Messages of solidarity with the Bishop of Matagalpa and the Nicaraguan Church are pouring in from around the world. The action has also been condemned by the Secretary of the Organization of American States (OAS), Luis Almagro, who spoke of the "repressive forces of the Ortega-Murillo regime" calling for the immediate release of the Bishop of Matagalpa and the others detained, as well as all political prisoners.

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), an autonomous body of the Organization of American States, has strongly condemned what he describes as the escalation in the repression against members of the Catholic Church in Nicaragua and urges the state to immediately cease these acts by immediately releasing Bishop Rolando lvarez and the other detained persons.

These events, the IACHR notes "are part of a systematic context of persecution, criminalization, and harassment" against members of the Catholic Church in Nicaragua, "because of their role as mediators in the 2018 National Dialogue and their critical role in denouncing human rights violations that have occurred in the context of the country's crisis." The Commission again calls on the Nicaraguan government "to cease its continued attacks against the Catholic Church" and to release "all persons still arbitrarily deprived of their liberty and to immediately cease repression in the country."

Local Church representatives from around the world are expressing their strong solidarity with the Nicaraguan Church in these hours, inviting the faithful to prayer and to an active closeness to the Catholic community in the Central American country.

View post:
UN decries attacks on democracy and Church in Nicaragua - Vatican News - English

A significant provision in the Constitution not oft spoken about is the declaration that Kenya shall be a multi-party democratic state, founded on the national values and principles of governance referred to in Article 10.

These values include inter-alia, patriotism, national unity, rule of law, democracy and participation of the people, among others. The Constitution further provides for separation of powers, through the three arms of government, namely the Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary, as well as the constitutional commissions.

An immediate beneficiary of these elaborate provisions has been Parliament. Removed from the shackles of the Executive, it can now set its own calendar, unlike the past. Members do not serve at the pleasure of the President but the citizens who elect them to office to represent, legislative and oversight on their behalf.

It is therefore disheartening to see members elected in recent elections begin to shift allegiance from the coalitions that propelled them to victory. As MPs settle down awaiting their business, they should remain conscious of the need to safeguard not just independence of the House, but also of all other institutions.

Part of this independence thrives from a robust opposition in the House, a weakness faced by the 12th Parliament. It is important that citizen wishes in the election by the choice of party affiliation, are reflected in the way parliamentarians conduct business.

Members must prioritise needs of the citizens who propelled them to office. And they are many. Concerns about the high cost of living, high debt ceiling, implications of global and regional challenges and conflicts on the local economy, a school calendar interrupted, and the economy generally are top of peoples mind.

The assumption then is that those expected to hold the government of the day to account, including implementation of the promises made, must play their role effectively and not sing to the choir. Independent candidates must also provide an independent voice.

We have come a long way from the one-party state and our country is better for it. Our Constitution has given us safeguards to ensure a thriving democracy. We must cultivate and sustain this, including ensuring that the openness and transparency expected of government agencies is protected, civil liberties around access to information, media freedom and association are enhanced and that citizens are active participants of the governance system at national and county level.

This can only happen in an environment where institutions play their rightful role, including holding other arms of government accountable. The citizens have made their choice of representatives on the different party tickets. Its the least they expect to ensure our democracy thrives.

The writer is Executive Director of Mzalendo Trust, Kenyas premier parliamentary monitoring organisation

Read the original:
Why separation of powers is critical to thriving democracy - The Standard

Country

United States of AmericaUS Virgin IslandsUnited States Minor Outlying IslandsCanadaMexico, United Mexican StatesBahamas, Commonwealth of theCuba, Republic ofDominican RepublicHaiti, Republic ofJamaicaAfghanistanAlbania, People's Socialist Republic ofAlgeria, People's Democratic Republic ofAmerican SamoaAndorra, Principality ofAngola, Republic ofAnguillaAntarctica (the territory South of 60 deg S)Antigua and BarbudaArgentina, Argentine RepublicArmeniaArubaAustralia, Commonwealth ofAustria, Republic ofAzerbaijan, Republic ofBahrain, Kingdom ofBangladesh, People's Republic ofBarbadosBelarusBelgium, Kingdom ofBelizeBenin, People's Republic ofBermudaBhutan, Kingdom ofBolivia, Republic ofBosnia and HerzegovinaBotswana, Republic ofBouvet Island (Bouvetoya)Brazil, Federative Republic ofBritish Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Archipelago)British Virgin IslandsBrunei DarussalamBulgaria, People's Republic ofBurkina FasoBurundi, Republic ofCambodia, Kingdom ofCameroon, United Republic ofCape Verde, Republic ofCayman IslandsCentral African RepublicChad, Republic ofChile, Republic ofChina, People's Republic ofChristmas IslandCocos (Keeling) IslandsColombia, Republic ofComoros, Union of theCongo, Democratic Republic ofCongo, People's Republic ofCook IslandsCosta Rica, Republic ofCote D'Ivoire, Ivory Coast, Republic of theCyprus, Republic ofCzech RepublicDenmark, Kingdom ofDjibouti, Republic ofDominica, Commonwealth ofEcuador, Republic ofEgypt, Arab Republic ofEl Salvador, Republic ofEquatorial Guinea, Republic ofEritreaEstoniaEthiopiaFaeroe IslandsFalkland Islands (Malvinas)Fiji, Republic of the Fiji IslandsFinland, Republic ofFrance, French RepublicFrench GuianaFrench PolynesiaFrench Southern TerritoriesGabon, Gabonese RepublicGambia, Republic of theGeorgiaGermanyGhana, Republic ofGibraltarGreece, Hellenic RepublicGreenlandGrenadaGuadaloupeGuamGuatemala, Republic ofGuinea, RevolutionaryPeople's Rep'c ofGuinea-Bissau, Republic ofGuyana, Republic ofHeard and McDonald IslandsHoly See (Vatican City State)Honduras, Republic ofHong Kong, Special Administrative Region of ChinaHrvatska (Croatia)Hungary, Hungarian People's RepublicIceland, Republic ofIndia, Republic ofIndonesia, Republic ofIran, Islamic Republic ofIraq, Republic ofIrelandIsrael, State ofItaly, Italian RepublicJapanJordan, Hashemite Kingdom ofKazakhstan, Republic ofKenya, Republic ofKiribati, Republic ofKorea, Democratic People's Republic ofKorea, Republic ofKuwait, State ofKyrgyz RepublicLao People's Democratic RepublicLatviaLebanon, Lebanese RepublicLesotho, Kingdom ofLiberia, Republic ofLibyan Arab JamahiriyaLiechtenstein, Principality ofLithuaniaLuxembourg, Grand Duchy ofMacao, Special Administrative Region of ChinaMacedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic ofMadagascar, Republic ofMalawi, Republic ofMalaysiaMaldives, Republic ofMali, Republic ofMalta, Republic ofMarshall IslandsMartiniqueMauritania, Islamic Republic ofMauritiusMayotteMicronesia, Federated States ofMoldova, Republic ofMonaco, Principality ofMongolia, Mongolian People's RepublicMontserratMorocco, Kingdom ofMozambique, People's Republic ofMyanmarNamibiaNauru, Republic ofNepal, Kingdom ofNetherlands AntillesNetherlands, Kingdom of theNew CaledoniaNew ZealandNicaragua, Republic ofNiger, Republic of theNigeria, Federal Republic ofNiue, Republic ofNorfolk IslandNorthern Mariana IslandsNorway, Kingdom ofOman, Sultanate ofPakistan, Islamic Republic ofPalauPalestinian Territory, OccupiedPanama, Republic ofPapua New GuineaParaguay, Republic ofPeru, Republic ofPhilippines, Republic of thePitcairn IslandPoland, Polish People's RepublicPortugal, Portuguese RepublicPuerto RicoQatar, State ofReunionRomania, Socialist Republic ofRussian FederationRwanda, Rwandese RepublicSamoa, Independent State ofSan Marino, Republic ofSao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic ofSaudi Arabia, Kingdom ofSenegal, Republic ofSerbia and MontenegroSeychelles, Republic ofSierra Leone, Republic ofSingapore, Republic ofSlovakia (Slovak Republic)SloveniaSolomon IslandsSomalia, Somali RepublicSouth Africa, Republic ofSouth Georgia and the South Sandwich IslandsSpain, Spanish StateSri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic ofSt. HelenaSt. Kitts and NevisSt. LuciaSt. Pierre and MiquelonSt. Vincent and the GrenadinesSudan, Democratic Republic of theSuriname, Republic ofSvalbard & Jan Mayen IslandsSwaziland, Kingdom ofSweden, Kingdom ofSwitzerland, Swiss ConfederationSyrian Arab RepublicTaiwan, Province of ChinaTajikistanTanzania, United Republic ofThailand, Kingdom ofTimor-Leste, Democratic Republic ofTogo, Togolese RepublicTokelau (Tokelau Islands)Tonga, Kingdom ofTrinidad and Tobago, Republic ofTunisia, Republic ofTurkey, Republic ofTurkmenistanTurks and Caicos IslandsTuvaluUganda, Republic ofUkraineUnited Arab EmiratesUnited Kingdom of Great Britain & N. IrelandUruguay, Eastern Republic ofUzbekistanVanuatuVenezuela, Bolivarian Republic ofViet Nam, Socialist Republic ofWallis and Futuna IslandsWestern SaharaYemenZambia, Republic ofZimbabwe

The rest is here:
Editorial: What the River Democracy Act would mean for private property - The Bulletin