Election experts warn democracy ‘under great stress’

Elections experts warn that two decades of hyperpartisan politics and close elections have put American democracy under “great stress” that boiled over during the last presidential election.  

Concerns of electoral legitimacy exploded after the 2020 election when former President Trump made false claims against the integrity of the election system and attempted to overturn the presidential results, according to research from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

Following the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, threats against public officials and election workers spiked.

With growing concern for the 2024 election, UCLA law professor Richard L. Hasen convened an ad hoc committee to provide recommendations to restore confidence in the legitimacy of U.S. elections. 

“The emergence of these ‘voting wars’ has caused some people, especially those on the losing end of election battles, to question the fairness and integrity of the systems and rules used for conducting elections and tabulating results,” the committee wrote. 

The authors acknowledged that while the issues of confidence are largely coming from the right side of the political spectrum, there is potential for the left to raise similar issues in 2024.

“No longer can we take for granted that people will accept election results as legitimate,” they said in the report, adding that it has also “raised a new potential ‘insider threat’ of election workers or officials attempting to sabotage results.”

The report outlined 24 recommendations for federal, state and local legislators, reporters, tech companies, social media influencers and others to consider in an effort to enhance public confidence in elections, ensure accurate results and increase ballot access for all eligible voters. 

The committee urged jurisdictions to set clear governing rules for the electoral process prior to the time of the election and clearly promote the transparency and security of ballot counting. 

They also suggested that media organizations should better train reporters and editors over election processes with a priority on non-English language news outlets. Social media platforms should continue to fact-check false electoral information, the committee added.

Other recommendations included putting protections in place for election workers, making sure unsuccessful candidates concede properly and increasing preparation for artificial intelligence risks in the upcoming election.

To ensure the security and confidence in the technological processes, the committee also pushed for increased background checks for election workers and enhanced ballot tracking online. They also suggested that Congress and state legislatures should increase election funding in case of emergencies.

The committee explained that concerns in 2020 were fueled by the COVID-19 pandemic and when natural disasters — such as Hurricane Michael in 2018 — interrupt an election year and “affect the public’s perception of elections’ legitimacy.”

“Being prepared for the full administrative and political consequences of these nonpolitical threats will require more than having ready emergency plans,” they said in the report. 

The 2020 elections showed that the public has concerns over the confidence in American elections, proving a threat to democracy, the authors concluded.