What you can do to save democracy, according to Jocelyn Benson, Michigan's Secretary of State
27 February 2024
This essay is based on a response to a question posed to Secretary of State Benson after a talk: “OK, I get it, our democracy is at risk. What am I supposed to do about it? How is that MY job?"
Her response:
It's a great question. I go back to what my parents - who were both special education teachers - taught me. Everyone needs to have a seat at the table and equal access to opportunity in our country if our educational system and our economy are going to function and flourish. And they taught me that we all have a responsibility and a role to play in making that a reality.
Democracy is a decision. It's a choice we all have to make. And yes, with the threats our democracy faces, everyone has to step up and work together to defend it.
What about the "What can I do" part? I wanted to share an article I published today in my friend Maria Shriver's Sunday Paper. I encourage you to read the whole article, but I'll share the three things you can do directly to ensure democracy prevails in 2024:
1) Know the rules for voting in your state—and help others know them, too.
Elections are run at the state level. That means each state determines its own rules, from how and when you can register to vote to when and where you can cast your ballot. Become familiar now with the rules in your home state (vote.org is a great resource). And remember, your local election officials are your go-to source for all election needs. Find yours here and get in touch with them directly if you have questions.
Want to serve, literally, on the front lines of our democracy? Sign up to work at a voting location in your community! Being a poll worker gives you a unique chance to help your neighbors vote and ensure safe access to the ballot box for everyone. Visit Power to the Polls to find out how to sign up to help in your area.
2) Call out lies about our elections when you see them and help us rise above the noise.
There are adversaries to democracy out there who want to divide and deceive all of us with lies and disinformation about our voting rules, election security, and the valid results of our elections. We can’t let them win. No matter where we live or who we plan to vote for, it’s on all of us to rise above the noise and speak the truth to our friends and neighbors. Look skeptically at any images, videos and other things that could be generated with artificial intelligence. This includes robocalls, which are increasingly used as a tool to spread false election information, like the call New Hampshire voters received just before their primary election purporting to be President Biden telling citizens not to vote.
Rely on trusted sources, like official local government and election officials’ websites, for your election information and seek out multiple sources for news—including voices who will challenge your beliefs rather than reinforce them. There are multiple websites that effectively debunk false and misleading statements, images, and videos from across the political spectrum. One of the most respected is Factcheck.org from The Annenberg Public Policy Center. Other reliable sites include PolitiFact and RumorGuard. And when you find misinformation, don’t share it—expose it. Platforms like YouTube, Facebook and X have systems for reporting false information or go to reportdisinfo.org, to report misleading information.
3) This election will define who we are as a country for decades to come. Make your vote a reflection of that.
This will undoubtedly be a defining year for all of us. Our votes, as individuals and as a nation, reflect who we are and who we want to be in the years ahead. So, it’s on each and every one of us as Americans to ask ourselves in this moment: Who do we want to be moving forward? Do we want to feed the noise or rise above it? Do we want to elevate politicians who use divisive rhetoric, or support those who recognize we are all in this together and inspire us to celebrate our common humanity?
My hope is that we can unite collectively as an electorate and take a stand together, supporting candidates and amplifying voices on both sides of the aisle who speak the truth and demand the same of their fellow politicians. Our elected officials need to be able to disagree without being disagreeable, devote themselves to service above self-promotion, and commit themselves to bringing our country together instead of deploying rhetoric and other tactics that can tear us apart. It’s up to us, and the votes we cast, to send that message and demand that they do.
Let’s all decide to do our part. Because it will take all of us working together to make sure our democracy can work for everyone.
Jocelyn
Other essays about what you can do:
2024 resolution: Save democracy, 31 December 2023
Effective government requires our participation, 12 October 2023
Thoughts from Jennifer Rubin about what you should be doing, 22 September 2023
What you can do to promote democracy, 25 August 2023
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