American Bar Association task force forms to guard against 2024 election interference

[Think. Again.]

NYT Article: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/01/us/politics/american-bar-association-democracy.html

No Paywall: https://archive.is/tYvsc

Bipartisan Legal Group Urges Lawyers to Defend Against ‘Rising Authoritarianism’

A bipartisan American Bar Association task force is calling on lawyers across the country to do more to help protect democracy ahead of the 2024 election, warning in a statement to be delivered Friday at the group’s annual meeting in Chicago that the nation faces a serious threat in “rising authoritarianism.”

The statement by a panel of prominent legal thinkers and other public figures — led by J. Michael Luttig, a conservative former federal appeals court judge appointed by President George Bush, and Jeh C. Johnson, a Homeland Security secretary during the Obama administration — does not mention by name former President Donald J. Trump.

But in raising alarms, the panel appeared to be clearly referencing Mr. Trump’s attempt to subvert his loss of the 2020 election, which included attacks on election workers who were falsely accused by Mr. Trump and his supporters of rigging votes and culminated in the violent attack on the Capitol by his supporters on Jan. 6, 2021.

“For the first time in our history, we did not have a peaceful transition of power in our last presidential election,” says the lengthy statement, an advance copy of which was obtained by The New York Times.

-snip-

Full American Bar Assoc statement available for download here: https://archive.is/o/tYvsc/https://static01.nyt.com/newsgraphics/documenttools/11bee5ff7c264cc4/4dbc2b04-full.pdf

[BOSSHOG]

1. I guess the bad guys never thought of this

They were just gonna huff and puff and blow something

[Butterflylady]

4. Well, it takes a critical brain thinking person......

Oh forget it, I forgot who I was thinking about.

[pat_k]

2. Since 2002, Election Protection 866ourvote.org

https://866ourvote.org/

Now more than ever, give time and/or money to them and others, like

https://www.fairfight.com/

https://allvotingislocal.org/
Efforts focused in Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin

See also, Rolling Stone article:
These Swing State Election Officials Are Pro-Trump Election Deniers
At least 70 pro-Trump conspiracists are election officials in key battleground counties — and they are poised to make a giant mess on Election Day

And film:
Suppressed and Sabotaged: The Fight to Vote
It's from 2020, but worth a look if you missed it (and the list of partners at the bottom of the main page includes a number of other organizations doing work to combat suppression).

[Think. Again.]

3. If you happen to know any rightwing poll workers or election officials...

...you should send them this statement by the American Bar Association Task Force:

https://archive.is/o/tYvsc/https://static01.nyt.com/newsgraphics/documenttools/11bee5ff7c264cc4/4dbc2b04-full.pdf

MAYBE they'll think twice before actually committing the crimes they're planning on committing.

[Frank D. Lincoln]

5. My hope that things will be alright is starting to grow.

But a lot more needs to be done to defeat Trump and the fascists in November.

[Think. Again.]

6. Yes, this task force preparing to stand ready and do quick-response work...

...gives me hope too.

It WILL be messy, but at least we're not just sitting back and letting it happen.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

7. In addition, Democratic lawyer groups have been organizing

I have been volunteering on voter protection efforts since 2004. Texas teams are organizing to fight voter suppression

[Initech]

8. Fuck authoritarianism!

[FemDemERA]

9. From the article, it appears

They are holding off on unveiling their broader work until 2025? Won’t that be a little too late if they are proposing changes to strengthen the election process? Can someone explain What am I missing here? Too Volatile a time? Regardless of whether it hurts someone’s delicate feelings, Wouldn’t the perfect time be BEFORE we need it?

has been working for the past year, including meeting with election officials around the country, and developed what they described as a 90-page report proposing structural changes to strengthen elections on matters like the Electoral College and state voting systems.
But after the attempted assassination of Mr. Trump last month, they said it was too volatile a time to unveil that broader work. Instead, they decided to save it until 2025 and make a shorter statement at the annual meeting of the A.B.A. about what matters most for democracy in the next three months.

[Think. Again.]

10. The way I read that...

...it seems they have decided to focus their attention on safe-guarding the November vote process and assuring this particular upcoming election is run honestly...

"Instead, they decided to save (unveiling their broader work) until 2025 and make a shorter statement at the annual meeting of the A.B.A. about what matters most for democracy in the next three months."

...and hold off on the larger, more general work until we are safely past the immediate threats.

[FemDemERA]

11. Thank you for your

Thoughtful reply. Makes sense. I read that but was totally focusing on the other part about 2025 and it being too volatile a time because of the shooting. That threw me as it sounded like RW talk after every mass shooting.