Repairing our Democracy: Voter Registration Modernization and other Solutions
The strength of our democracy is measured by our capacity to include all Americans who are eligible to vote and want to participate. This can only happen if the administration of our elections is fair and accurate. While the American election system rests on a fundamentally strong foundation, the current infrastructure simply cannot handle the weight of full participation. The system needs to be upgraded and modernized to serve all eligible Americans in every future election. The 2008 general election inspired millions of new voters across the country. For that energy to ignite lasting civic participation, those new voters need faith in a system that is relevant and responsive.
A panel of experts – including voting rights experts, state election officials, and Hill staff – will discuss how our antiquated voter registration system has prevented millions of eligible voters from participating in our democracy and the solutions necessary to achieve the goal of equal access to the ballot box for all.
Click here for more information on voter registration modernization.
A pioneer in open government, election integrity, and personal privacy rights, Debra Bowen became the sixth woman in California history elected to a constitutional office. As chief elections officer, Secretary Bowen is responsible for overseeing state and federal elections. Her goal is to ensure that voting machines certified for use are secure, accurate, and accessible, and every voter's ballot is counted as it was cast. Bowen was recognized for her national leadership in election integrity with the 2008 John Kennedy Profile in Courage Award, the nation's most prestigious honor for elected public servants who choose principles over partisanship.
Eric Marshall, campaign manager for the National Campaign for Fair Elections in the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law's Voting Rights Project, is responsible for organizing the Campaign's nationwide network of volunteers, communications with field partners and the media and grassroots mobilization. As Campaign Manager for Election Protection in 2008, Marshall was instrumental in the recruitment, training and deployment of over 10,000 legal volunteers who developed a comprehensive nationwide, year round program to protect voters’ rights. One of the cornerstones of the program, the 1-866-OUR-VOTE hotline, received over 240,000 calls in 2008 from voters seeking assistance.
Jonah Goldman is a Vice President at the Glover Park Group and is a national expert on voting and elections. From 2004-2008, he led Election Protection, the progressive community’s unified effort to protect the voices of traditionally disenfranchised voters through an unprecedented coalition – the largest voting rights campaign in history. He has been a leader in the effort to reform election administration. Jonah is a frequent commentator on issues confronting American democracy. He has testified before Congress and other legislative bodies, and is a frequent commentator on democracy issues in the press.
Justin Levitt is counsel at the Brennan Center for Justice, focusing on voting rights and redistricting. His work has included original research, assistance to administrative and legislative bodies, litigation, and publication for both scholarly and popular audiences. Outside of the Brennan Center, he has served with several presidential campaigns, including most recently as the National Voter Protection Counsel, helping to ensure that millions of citizens could vote. He has also worked for several nonprofit organizations, including as in-house counsel to one of the nation’s largest voter registration and mobilization efforts.
Dean Logan is the Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk for Los Angeles County, California -- the nation’s largest county.
Logan serves on the Board of Directors for the California Association of Clerks and Election Officials. He serves on the California Secretary of State’s VoteCal Statewide Voter Registration System Advisory Committee, the Election Center’s National Task Forces on Education & Training and Election Reform and Pew’s Voter Registration Modernization Working Group.
Logan has 20+ years experience in public service in state and local government. He holds professional certifications as an Elections and Registration Administrator and as a Professional County Official.
