Democracy Happy Hour – February 23, 2022

* Democracy Happy Hour, February 23, 2022 - Meeting Recordings, Chat & Closed Caption Files:

• Speaker View Recording: https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/play/iBua2_JtjD-JrayB80s8tm8Qt4lxHqhkaXcCvmPkRE4WWaKOYHgj52lIiu7ZRBGzp9-eGWmjH2KJXB-D.zDDQ9zR4lpjRMKpS
• Gallery View Recording:  https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/play/hiEWLjB4OX9zMH3LN1cvzdEyJCeC3hd6AATjAxoqG9x8J4OA7dVB5-3nV4PoVg1u0kT6nGOvzdxR-rON.evGlfREv56-KV282
• Chat (Link will download a text file to your computer):  https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/sdownload/2FMZqiPrX48XeYvwpqPFQnARlB2Pvq8CkNV92fm-QaRflUmHXSbNJD7oHydHZ6zMQS2rETckA0w_ykkn.r6MyutEpFlqrHU9l

Actions, Events & Misc. Links:

DONATION Links:

• Fix Democracy First or Fix Democracy First Education Fund - https://www.fixdemocracyfirst.org/donate
• YO VOTE! - https://www.yo-vote.org/donate

Upcoming topics in March:

• Mar 2nd - The Civics Education Crisis: How do we fix it? w/ Beth Pellicciotti, LWVWA
• Mar 9th - WA 2022 Legislation Recap
• Mar 16th - Redistricting Updates & Final WA Maps w/ Alison McCaffree, LWVWA
• Mar 23rd - U.S. Supreme Court: Impact of Recent & Upcoming Decisions
• Mar 30th - Social Media Management to Support Democracy w/ Jeremy Chase

FDF – Current Democracy Legislation - https://www.fixdemocracyfirst.org/legislation

WON (Women in Office Now) – Training Modules will start March 8th - https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMrfuyrqzMqHdw_iwuFjhI3Syjbmjk9ljRo

Sign Petition - Boeing, Support Our Fundamental Democratic Values - asking Boeing withdraw funding to Jan 6th seditionist Members of Congress - https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/boeing-support-our-fundamental-democratic-values/

TAKE ACTION:

• Call the White House Hotline & tell President Biden to take executive action to protect voting rights @ 202-456-1111 - The White House comment line is open Tuesday to Thursday, from 8 am – 12 pm PT.
• Voter Protection Volunteer Phonebanks with Common Cause - https://www.mobilize.us/dfadcoalition/event/376178/
• Fair Fight Action - #StopJimCrow2 - https://www.stopjimcrow2.com/  

Voter Fraud vs. Election Fraud Links:

What Is Electoral and Voter Fraud? - https://www.findlaw.com/voting/how-u-s--elections-work/what-is-electoral-and-voter-fraud-.html

Letter from an American by Heather Cox Richardson – January 17, 2022 - https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/january-17-2022?utm_source=url

The Truth About Voter Fraud - https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/truth-about-voter-fraud

Debunking the Voter Fraud Myth - https://www.brennancenter.org/sites/default/files/analysis/Briefing_Memo_Debunking_Voter_Fraud_Myth.pdf

What drives Republican and Trump voters' belief in widespread voter fraud? - https://www.cbsnews.com/news/republicans-belief-voter-fraud-opinion-poll/

Election fraud isn't really a thing, part infinity - https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/04/politics/election-fraud-trump-no-evidence/index.html

How does vote-by-mail work and does it increase election fraud? - https://www.brookings.edu/policy2020/votervital/how-does-vote-by-mail-work-and-does-it-increase-election-fraud/

Voter fraud used to be rampant. Now it’s an anomaly. - https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/voter-fraud-used-to-be-rampant-now-an-anomaly

Far too little vote fraud to tip election to Trump, AP finds - https://apnews.com/article/voter-fraud-election-2020-joe-biden-donald-trump-7fcb6f134e528fee8237c7601db3328f

No evidence for systematic voter fraud: A guide to statistical claims about the 2020 election -https://www.pnas.org/content/118/45/e2103619118

Despite GOP rhetoric, there have been fewer than two dozen charged cases of voter fraud since the election - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/05/04/despite-gop-rhetoric-there-have-been-fewer-than-two-dozen-charged-cases-voter-fraud-since-election/

Sparse Voter-Fraud Cases Undercut Claims of Widespread Abuses - https://about.bgov.com/news/sparse-voter-fraud-cases-undercut-claims-of-widespread-abuses/

Here's even *more* evidence that widespread election fraud isn't a thing - https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/02/politics/voter-election-fraud-trump/index.html

A Sampling of Recent Election Fraud Cases from Across the United States - https://www.heritage.org/voterfraud

The Effects of Unsubstantiated Claims of Voter Fraud on Confidence in Elections - https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-experimental-political-science/article/effects-of-unsubstantiated-claims-of-voter-fraud-on-confidence-in-elections/9B4CE6DF2F573955071948B9F649DF7A

2020 election fraud conspiracy theories remain central to many Republican campaigns - https://thenevadaindependent.com/article/2020-election-fraud-conspiracy-theories-remain-central-to-many-republican-campaigns

Democracy in the News Links:

Material Recovered From Trump by Archives Included Classified Information - https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/18/us/politics/trump-archives-white-house.html

Fighting Jan. 6 committee, John Eastman details how he came into Trump’s post-election fold - https://www.politico.com/news/2022/02/22/john-eastman-donald-trump-00010876

Judge Allows Civil Suits to Proceed Against Trump Over Jan. 6 - https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/18/us/politics/civil-suits-trump-jan-6.html

Most Republicans Think Pence Had No Right To Overturn Trump’s Election Loss, Poll Finds - https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicholasreimann/2022/02/16/most-republicans-think-pence-had-no-right-to-overturn-trumps-election-loss-poll-finds/?sh=7c873d737fd3

EXPLAINER: How fake electors tried to throw result to Trump - https://apnews.com/article/capitol-siege-joe-biden-presidential-elections-election-2020-electoral-college-311f88768b65f7196f52a4757dc162e4

Fringe Scheme to Reverse 2020 Election Splits Wisconsin G.O.P. - https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/19/us/politics/wisconsin-election-decertification.html

2 Prosecutors Leading N.Y. Trump Inquiry Resign, Clouding Case’s Future - https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/23/nyregion/donald-trump-fraud-investigation-new-york.html

GOP lawmakers are pushing high-tech ‘fraud-proof’ ballots. A Texas company could be the only supplier. - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/02/18/authentix-fraud-proof-ballots-finchem-arizona

Democracy Is On The Ballot In These 11 Secretary Of State And Attorney General Elections - https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/democracy-is-on-the-ballot-in-these-11-secretary-of-state-and-attorney-general-elections/

Election experts sound alarms as costs escalate and funding dwindles - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/02/16/election-funding-midterms/

Election Workers Are in Crisis. Will Congress Actually Help? - https://www.thedailybeast.com/author/sam-brodey

Democratic Senators Call for $5B in Federal Funds for Election Security - https://www.route-fifty.com/tech-data/2022/02/democratic-senators-call-5b-federal-funds-election-security/362107/

‘The brand is so toxic’: Dems fear extinction in rural U.S. - https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/nation-politics/the-brand-is-so-toxic-dems-fear-extinction-in-rural-us

Bill that limits early voting to senior Arizonans moving through Senate - https://www.azfamily.com/news/politics/arizona_politics/bill-limits-early-voting-to-65-and-older-in-az/article_e898cc44-8f90-11ec-b4b6-a75f78981caf.html

Court Deals Pennsylvania Mail-In Voting Law Another Blow - https://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2022/02/16/court-deals-pennsylvania-mail-in-voting-law-another-blow/

Voting rights measures on deck in Missouri - https://www.joplinglobe.com/news/local_news/voting-rights-measures-on-deck-in-missouri/article_ec354952-8e98-11ec-b14a-8b36392ea001.html

Staring down the clock, lawmakers make moves to keep voting rights alive - https://nmindepth.com/2022/02/16/staring-down-the-clock-lawmakers-make-moves-to-keep-voting-rights-alive/

The future of U.S. democracy hangs in the balance as states battle over voting rights - https://www.npr.org/2022/02/17/1081428996/the-future-of-u-s-democracy-hangs-in-the-balance-as-states-battle-over-voting-ri

Go Knock on Doors - https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/02/voting-rights-canvassing/622095/

Michigan Supreme Court declines to revisit redistricting Voting Rights Act challenge - https://www.mlive.com/public-interest/2022/02/michigan-supreme-court-declines-to-revisit-redistricting-voting-rights-act-challenge.html

Patchwork elections: New laws expanded voting rights in Maryland but court battle ongoing over redistricting - https://www.tribdem.com/news/patchwork-elections-new-laws-expanded-voting-rights-in-maryland-but-court-battle-ongoing-over-redistricting/article_8c0bc39a-90d1-11ec-84ad-976d6038054a.html

Indigenous nations sue North Dakota over ‘sickening’ gerrymandering - https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/feb/21/native-american-tribes-sue-north-dakota-gerrymandering

The redistricting commission disregarded Ohio Supreme Court's order. What now? - https://www.wvxu.org/politics/2022-02-20/the-redistricting-commission-disregarded-ohio-supreme-courts-order-what-now

Ohio Supreme Court Justice Pat DeWine says he’d recuse himself if contempt proceedings advance in redistricting case - https://www.cleveland.com/news/2022/02/ohio-supreme-court-justice-pat-dewine-says-hed-recuse-himself-if-contempt-proceedings-advance-in-redistricting-case.html

'Devastating implications': GOP redistricting battles in Alabama and other states raise concerns about voter suppression - https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/16/politics/alabama-redistricting-black-voters/index.html

Washington enacts new legislative districts - https://news.ballotpedia.org/2022/02/11/washington-enacts-new-legislative-districts/

Thanks to new congressional maps, most Americans’ votes won’t matter - https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/feb/17/newly-drawn-district-lines-safe-seats-congress?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

How redistricting is shaping the 2022 U.S. House map - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/interactive/redistricting-tracker-map

OUR MAPS SHOULDN’T LIE ABOUT OUR VOTES - https://www.sightline.org/2022/02/15/our-maps-shouldnt-lie-about-our-votes

Extreme Gerrymanders - https://issueone.org/articles/extreme-gerrymanders/

America Needs To Listen to Canada About an "Elections" Agency - https://hartmannreport.com/p/america-needs-to-listen-to-canada

State judges across the U.S. face growing GOP pushback against rulings in election cases - https://newhampshirebulletin.com/2022/02/16/state-judges-across-the-u-s-face-growing-gop-pushback-against-rulings-in-election-cases/

How the Court Became a Voting-Rights Foe - https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/02/scotus-gerrymandering-voting-rights/622866/

How the “Amicus Machine” Is Pushing the Supreme Court Even Further to the Right - https://ballsandstrikes.org/law-politics/supreme-court-amicus-briefs-machine/

Supreme Court Docket Gets Busier With More Culture-War Showdowns - https://news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/supreme-court-docket-gets-busier-with-more-culture-war-showdowns

The Texas abortion ban created a ‘vigilante’ loophole. Both parties are rushing to take advantage. - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/02/22/texas-abortion-law-vigilante-loophole-supreme-court/

The Long Crusade of Clarence and Ginni Thomas - https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/22/magazine/clarence-thomas-ginni-thomas.html

GOP group pledges more spending on Supreme Court races - https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/594526-gop-group-pledges-more-spending-on-supreme-court-races?rl=1

‘The Scheme’: a senator’s plan to highlight rightwing influence on the supreme court - https://www.theguardian.com/law/2022/feb/22/the-scheme-senators-highlight-rightwing-influence-supreme-court

Opinion: In the federal court wars, the right has jumped through a dark-money looking glass - https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/02/17/federalist-society-dark-money-breyer-supreme-court-seat/

U.S. Senate moves to strengthen judiciary financial disclosure requirements - https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/us-senate-moves-strengthen-judiciary-financial-disclosure-requirements-2022-02-18/

S.3059 - Courthouse Ethics and Transparency Act - https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/3059

H.R.5720 - Courthouse Ethics and Transparency Act - https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/5720

Dems fear for democracy. Their big donors aren’t funding one of its main election groups. - https://www.politico.com/news/2022/02/22/big-dem-donors-secretary-state-00010413

Over $560 million in campaign contributions flooded 2022 Senate races in first year of midterm election cycle - https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2022/02/over-560-million-in-campaign-contributions-flooded-2022-senate-races-in-first-year-of-midterm-election-cycle/

Billionaires Bet Big to Influence 2022 Elections - https://www.exposedbycmd.org/2022/02/22/billionaires-bet-big-to-influence-2022-elections/

GOP tensions boil over Trump's fundraising tactics - https://www.axios.com/gop-tensions-trumps-fundraising-tactics-41199f5e-ed80-4d99-a60c-ea9f8ee92081.html

Facebook, Google, Amazon and more marked Black History Month with fanfare — after donating to lawmakers who blocked voting rights bills - https://www.marketwatch.com/story/facebook-google-amazon-and-more-marked-black-history-month-with-fanfare-after-donating-to-lawmakers-who-blocked-voting-rights-bills-11645048828

Congressional stock trading ban must include spouses, lawmakers say - https://thehill.com/policy/finance/594895-congressional-stock-trading-ban-must-include-spouses-lawmakers-say?rl=1

Congressional Stock Trading By The Numbers - 117th Congress - https://campaignlegal.org/document/congressional-stock-trading-numbers-117th-congress

‘Stand your ground’ laws linked to 11% rise in U.S. firearm homicides, study says - https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/02/21/stand-your-ground-research-homicides

America Needs To Listen to Canada About an "Elections" Agency - https://hartmannreport.com/p/america-needs-to-listen-to-canada

Georgia legislators exploring ranked-choice voting - https://thefulcrum.us/instant-runoff-voting

Study: Private equity firms buying newspapers cut local news - https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/study-private-equity-firms-buying-newspapers-cut-local-news/

How a News Voucher System Could Revitalize American Journalism - https://inthesetimes.com/article/news-vouchers-journalism-media-democracy