Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
Editorials & Other Articles
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
The 2026 Elections: Resisting the Rigging by Robert Kuttner
Wesleyan University President Michael Roth, who has been a leader in organizing college presidents to resist Donald Trump’s demands, has come up with a terrific idea to help safeguard the midterm elections. He proposes something called Democracy Summer 2026, evoking the heroic Freedom Summer of 1964 that aimed to advance voting rights in Mississippi.
“Wesleyan University is reaching out to colleges across the country to build a network of institutions to protect our democracy,” Roth explains. “We hope that by the fall thousands of students will be working side by side with election administrators and civic organizations to support poll worker recruitment, election protection efforts, and lawful observation.”
He added, “During Democracy Summer 2026, many schools will offer internships for young people eager to join campaigns. In recent years Wesleyan students have been engaging with potential voters in places like Michigan and North Carolina, in Pennsylvania and New Hampshire. By the fall our network will launch thousands of students into meaningful work side-by-side with election administrators and civic organizations. The elections of 2026 are crucial, but we are building democratic muscles that should endure.”
Roth’s initiative is a nonpartisan cousin to Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin’s Democracy Summer program, which trains students to be organizers and campaign workers for progressive candidates.
If we take stock of all the ways that Trump is threatening free and fair elections next fall, student election workers can’t do everything, but they can do a lot. Trump has tried to “nationalize” elections, meaning have the federal government take control of election administration, which the Constitution clearly delegates to the states. He issued an executive order to that effect back in March.
“Wesleyan University is reaching out to colleges across the country to build a network of institutions to protect our democracy,” Roth explains. “We hope that by the fall thousands of students will be working side by side with election administrators and civic organizations to support poll worker recruitment, election protection efforts, and lawful observation.”
He added, “During Democracy Summer 2026, many schools will offer internships for young people eager to join campaigns. In recent years Wesleyan students have been engaging with potential voters in places like Michigan and North Carolina, in Pennsylvania and New Hampshire. By the fall our network will launch thousands of students into meaningful work side-by-side with election administrators and civic organizations. The elections of 2026 are crucial, but we are building democratic muscles that should endure.”
Roth’s initiative is a nonpartisan cousin to Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin’s Democracy Summer program, which trains students to be organizers and campaign workers for progressive candidates.
If we take stock of all the ways that Trump is threatening free and fair elections next fall, student election workers can’t do everything, but they can do a lot. Trump has tried to “nationalize” elections, meaning have the federal government take control of election administration, which the Constitution clearly delegates to the states. He issued an executive order to that effect back in March.
https://prospect.org/2026/02/17/2026-elections-resisting-rigging-trump-students/]
1 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
= new reply since forum marked as read
