We have a President hostile to fixing the system and a Congress currently controlled by reform opponents. However, history makes clear that reform issues are cyclical in nature: the kind of scandalous system that exists today has led to major reforms in the past, and can do so again in the future.

Tag Archive for: Democracy Reforms

The Trump Coup That Could Have Succeeded

Fred Wertheimer’s Weekly Note | December 22, 2022 On November 4, 2020 — one day after Election Day 2020 — Rick Perry, Trump’s Energy Secretary, contacted White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows with a proposal. Perry proposed an “AGRESSIVE [sic] STRATEGY” to have Republican-controlled state legislatures in key battleground states override the voters and […]

Congress Is Very Close To Finally Closing A Dangerous Election Law Loophole

Fred Wertheimer’s Weekly Note | December 15, 2022 The Electoral Count Reform Act (ECRA) is essential legislation that would close a dangerous loophole in the 19th-century Electoral Count Act. The loophole would permit a state legislature to replace the presidential electors chosen by the state’s voters on Election Day with the choice of the legislature. […]

Two Fundamental Threats Facing Democracy As Election Day Nears

Fred Wertheimer’s Weekly Note | October 27, 2022 As we head into the final days of the midterm elections, Americans are facing two fundamental threats to our democracy. Threat One: Baseless attacks on our elections, led by former President Trump and his followers, are  dangerously undermining the faith of tens of millions of Americans in […]

Progress On Electoral Count Act Reform In Congress; SCOTUS To Consider “Independent State Legislature Theory”

Fred Wertheimer’s Weekly Note | September 29, 2022 Two critical issues that go to the heart of the integrity of our elections will play out this fall – one in Congress and one in the Supreme Court. Electoral Count Act Reform Moves Forward In Congress In the past two weeks, Congress has made major progress […]

Electoral Count Reform Act Reported Today By Senate Rules Committee In 14-1 Vote Is Essential Legislation To Protect Against Another Presidential Coup Attempt

Statement of Democracy 21 President Fred Wertheimer The Electoral Count Reform Act of 2022 (ECRA) that reforms antiquated 19th-century laws governing the presidential election process is essential and urgently needed legislation to help ensure that any future Trump-like presidential coup attempt will not succeed. Democracy 21 applauds the Senate Rules Committee, led by Chairwoman Amy […]

Democracy 21 Applauds House Passage Of The Presidential Election Reform Act

Statement of Democracy 21 President Fred Wertheimer Democracy 21 applauds the House of Representatives and the Representatives who voted today to pass the Presidential Election Reform Act that will close dangerous loopholes in our presidential election laws. We especially applaud the commitment and hard work of the legislation’s main sponsors, Representative Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) and […]

Democracy 21 Strongly Urges House To Pass Lofgren-Cheney Presidential Election Reform Act To Reform Antiquated 19th-Century Laws Governing Presidential Election Process

Democracy 21 today strongly urged House Members to vote for H.R. 8873, the Presidential Election Reform Act (PERA), introduced by Representatives Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) and Liz Cheney (R-WY). The legislation is expected to come to the House floor on Wednesday. This legislation provides for essential reforms to two antiquated 19th-century laws that govern the presidential […]

The Sustaining Our Democracy Act Is Essential Legislation To Protect The Integrity Of Our Elections And Democracy

Statement of Democracy 21 President Fred Wertheimer One of the greatest dangers facing our democracy today is the systematic poisoning of the integrity of our elections by former President Trump and the unrelenting spread of his Big Lie in our nation. This has led to millions of Americans doubting the honesty of our elections, despite […]

Trump’s Next Presidential Coup Attempt Could Work Unless Existing Laws Are Repaired, D21 President Fred Wertheimer Warns In New Just Security Op-Ed

If Donald Trump is nominated again in 2024, “another attempt at a Trump presidential coup is far more likely to succeed – unless flawed laws, enacted in 1845 and 1887 and still on the books today, are repaired,” Democracy 21 President Fred Wertheimer warns in a new op-ed published today by Just Security. While most of […]

The New Republic: Will The Democrats Fight To Save Democracy?

The battle against voter suppression and election sabotage must be fought in the states and local communities, D21 President Fred Wertheimer tells The New Republic “It’s been thoroughly overtaken by events since, but by the time the midterm elections roll around in November, the implications of Congress’s failure to pass democratic reforms this term will […]