I'm on a ZOOM call with Marc Elias, SOS Jena Griswold (CO), Adrian Fontes (AZ), , Steve Hobbs (WA),

[hlthe2b]

Maggie Toulouse Oliver (NM), Norm Eisen (the lawyer/former Ambassador/and Brookings expert).

I'm not sure how I got the invite, but I'll try to summarize and suggest that you check Elias' site in the future because they are going to do these over the next two weeks on election issues. Jamie Raskin is among future participants.

[Nevilledog]

1. Looking forward to your summary

[SheltieLover]

3. Same here!

[hlthe2b]

2. AZ update (Fontes):

On the chronic problem of election deniers: state certification of election workers, tabletop exercises (including law enforcement and local, state, and national media as well as workers), a fellowship program for college grads working in the county offices, addressing election deniers in every way possible (courts, media, public). Pushing as many $$ resources out as possible target. Elias mentions the AZ election procedure manual (despite RW litigation against it). Standardized as new laws passed.

Maricopa County second only to LA in size of its jurisdiction...

[hlthe2b]

4. Jena Griswold (CO)--also President of National Dem SOS Association:

Elias asks her about worker protections and efforts to prevent chaos. "Threat environment real"... She has received over 1000 threats since last Fall. Three men have been successfully prosecuted, including one who showed up at the hospital where she was giving birth. Women election workers (the majority across the country) are being targeted.

In CO: law passed against threats of broad scope against election workers. 70% increase in CO drop boxes, 160K new voters, voting on tribal lands, CO is considered "gold standard." Threats of violence taken seriously but not nearly enough being done nationwide.

[hlthe2b]

5. Toulouse Oliver (NM):

The problem in NM to ensure counties certify (per Elias):

Certification is supposed to be merely ministerial; issues go to the court; BUT, that has not been accepted locally (as per the current situation in GA). NM Supreme Court has come down hard on those counties who tried to delay or not certify in the elections 2020 and 2022. The hope is that the message has been sent.

[hlthe2b]

6. Hobbs (WA)

Like CO, has vote by mail and drop boxes. But, per Elias in recent years, partisan disputes have been attacking this (But both CO and WA continue to defend/maintain).

Hobbs and Griswold both have worked hard to counsel/educate/advise other states and to fight the partisan false narratives.

[hlthe2b]

7. Norm Eisen (working with George Conway on Save Democracy Group):

Election Security/Administration: Where we are now:
Working on Public prosecution, bar discipline, bipartisan conference on authoritarianism, and protection democracy..

Norm mentioned the Tina Peters 9-year sentence (CO) for election breaches (SOS Griswold was heavily involved in exposing her threat in Mesa County--compromised equipment, gave outsider exposure via identity theft). That CO identified the breach so early was instrumental and they were able to quickly remove her, albeit the court case took three years. Statewide system of allowing for whistleblower protections in counties if breaches are observed. Recent CO law makes it illegal to delay certification or pose as fake elector in any way. CO courts have agreed to accelerate election-related cases. ZERO TOLERANCE for election interference.

Norm mentions nationwide concerns for a repeat of 2020. Election deniers have burrowed in, but as much as possible, the champions of democracy have learned how to counter. Election denial (and AZ is a hotspot still) will still be an issue but a system of legal counters is in place. AZ SOS believes they will not have an impact as courts have also made these cases an absolute priority. There have likewise been indictments (Cochise CO) in AZ that should have some impact. Sending the message to AZ business community: Election denialism is devastating to AZ reputation and business.

Hobbs (WA) has the power NOW per recent law to certify an election even IF a county refuses. Also, new laws banning deepfakes and robocalls. WA shored up election issues in response to what was going on elsewhere and the overwhelming disinformation.

New Mexico Voting Rights Act just passed (Toulouse-Oliver): also includes Native Voting Right component; Now have a permanent vote-by-mail component and hope to make it statewide (like CO and WA). DVM registration is automatic beginning next summer. She has been able to convince the legislature that accessibility does not mean less security.

*****
In summary, I am glad to see all that these particular SOS are doing (and obviously others are too) but these are among the "cream of the crop"... Elias (to this point), does believe that all of the nation's state-level officials are doing everything anticipating problems and trying to head them off. They all work daily to get the media to push early voting.

[Amaryllis]

8. Go to Elias' website and sign up for his email newsletter. THat's how i got the invite.

[ananda]

9. Thank you, and please keep us informed!

Way cool!

[hlthe2b]

10. Summarized as best as I could (post #1-7). I think the zoom will be on youtube later.

Elias is going to do a series of these, so do check his Democracy Docket to see if you can sign up. I was signed up to the latter, but don't recall having registered on zoom so it was a surprise. But, I'm glad I listened in. Some reassurance, for sure.

[llmart]

11. Thank you for taking the time to summarize it all for us.

Very interesting.

[et tu]

12. sweet!

elias is on top of it- he is soooo cool!

[GenThePerservering]

13. Thank you for this!

I'm in Washington state and we hand-carried our ballots to the drop box last night when we were walking to the pub for dinner. I'm not sure anyone either west or east of the mountains wants to go back to the old time "show up in person at an inconvenient time at an inconvenient place to vote like it's 1960." Ballot oversight is strict - collecting them from the drop boxes requires three people to do it, including a member of the police force, high security as they're being transported. The drop boxes themselves are tanks bolted to the pavement.

Read somewhere a bit back that the ABA are alert to legal fraud, as well.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

14. Thank you for all this info!

[PortTack]

15. Thx for taking the time and sharing!!