Skip to content Fair Elections Center is a national, nonpartisan voting rights and election reform 501(c)(3) organization based in Washington, D.C.
We are a non-partisan organization dedicated to safeguarding the future of our democracy through innovative efforts focused on voting rights and civic engagement.
We envision a civic ecosystem where all people can easily and freely participate in our democracy and where this participation is actively supported and valued by our local communities, institutions and government.
Our mission is to use litigation and advocacy to remove barriers to registration and voting, particularly those disenfranchising underrepresented and marginalized communities, and to improve election administration.
All eyes are on New York City’s upcoming mayoral election, following Zohran Mamdani`s contentious victory in his party’s primary. But could the election have ripple effects beyond the city limits? Historically, when a New York mayor has failed to crack the 40% vote threshold, it has triggered legislative reforms in election procedures, including the institution of run-offs, fusion candidacies, and the current ranked-choice system. In this new blog post, Fair Elections Center Summer Legal Intern Morgan Munroe, a rising 3L at New York University School of Law, explores the implications of the mayor’s race for election reform efforts in the city—and beyond.
Read the full blog: bit.ly/fecnycmayorblog
This week, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit affirmed a district court’s decision upholding the arbitrary restoration of voting rights to Virginians convicted of felonies against a First Amendment challenge.
The plaintiff, George Hawkins, is represented by Fair Elections Center and Virginia-based attorney Victor Glasberg. Mr. Hawkins, who had served time in prison for a felony conviction, asserted that the governor’s unfettered discretion over voting-rights restoration and the lack of a reasonable, definite time limit for the restoration process violate the First Amendment.
The Fair Elections Center`s Voting Rights Project litigation team is considering filing a petition for en banc rehearing before the full Fourth Circuit.
Click the link in our bio to read more about this case, which we filed in 2023 (bit.ly/va_rightsrestorationlawsuit)
It is with the deepest sorrow that we share the heartbreaking news of the recent passing of Bianca Avery, Fair Elections Center’s extraordinary and extraordinarily beloved Texas State Coordinator.
Our hearts go out to Bianca`s wife, her children, the rest of her beautiful family, and all of her friends during this incredibly sad time. We ask you to please hold them in your hearts. We also hold space in our hearts for our staff and community members as, collectively, we grieve this profound loss.
bit.ly/fecbiancaavery
We`re hiring a new Controller to join our finance team. Head to fairelectionscenter.org/careers (link in bio) for more information and apply today
HAPPENING TODAY at 2 PM ET!
Join Fair Elections Center Policy Director and Senior Counsel Michelle Kanter Cohen for a joint webinar with @nonprofitvote for the information you need on 2025 updates to voter registration drive laws - with an emphasis on state laws that have changed in the past year.
Looking for something to do today on Martha`s Vineyard? Fair Elections Center President & CEO Rebekah Caruthers will join The Sentencing Project, Color of Change, and SPLC Georgia for an in-person panel discussion examining tools addressing the now and visioning for the future of Black communities in the United States at Oak Bluffs Library.
Learn more about these events, and other upcoming events, at the link in our bio (fairelectionscenter.org/events)
There are no “off years” for elections! Many states have elections this year, and preparations for 2026 midterm elections is already underway — and these elections need poll workers! This Poll Worker Recruitment Day, sign up to serve your community as a poll worker: powerthepolls.org/fairelections (link in bio)
For nearly 50 years, the landmark Voting Rights Act enjoyed bipartisan support and remained a vital and supremely effective tool for combating racial discrimination in voting, Fair Election Center’s Policy Director and Senior Counsel Michelle Kanter Cohen explains. But since 2013, a series of Supreme Court decisions have weakened the VRA and diminished its power to protect voters against discrimination.
Today we celebrate the 60th anniversary of the VRA, signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson on August 6, 1965—and call on Congress to restore and strengthen the ingenious legislation.
The Voting Rights Act has never been more important. Click the link in our bio to learn more about how Fair Elections Center is pushing back on concerted attacks on our voting rights (bit.ly/fecvra60)
Join Campus Vote Project`s Curriculum and Research team as a paid, part-time graduate intern!
Learn more and apply at fairelectionscenter.org/careers (linked in bio)
Are you a civically engaged student ready to make a difference on a national level? Apply for the Fall National Programming Internship with Fair Elections Center`s Campus Vote Project!
Learn more and apply at the link in our bio FairElectionsCenter.org/careers
Did you know July is Disability Pride Month? To celebrate and educate, CVP Student Advisory Board Accessibility & Disability Representative Sophyia Haynes shares what she`s learned about the meaning of the disability pride flag and some of the common barriers to voting in the disability community. ➡️ Swipe to learn more!
Want more information about the intersection of voting and disability rights? Click the link in our bio to read a blog post from Michelle Bishop, the Voter Access & Engagement Manager at the National Disability Rights Network and a member of the Fair Elections Center Board of Directors (bit.ly/fecdisabilitypridemonthblog)
Fair Elections Center is looking to hire a full-time Grant Writer. Head to the link in our bio (fairelectionscenter.org/careers) for more information and apply today!
Today, the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act is being reintroduced in the Senate. This bill would restore many of the core protections that have been gutted from the Voting Rights Act in the past 60 years, pushing back against a wave of voter suppression tactics that have followed a 2013 Supreme Court decision in the case Shelby County v. Holder, as Fair Elections Center Legal Fellow Emily Davis explains.
Our freedom to vote is under attack, and the John Lewis VRAA is how we fight back. Congress must act now. Learn more at the link in our bio (bit.ly/fecjlvraa25)
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#restorethevra #jlvraa #johnlewis
we really thought we were doing something
Today marks a major milestone in the history of Fair Elections Center: Robert Brandon, who founded our organization in 2006, moves into a new role as president emeritus and senior advisor. Rebekah Caruthers, who has served as the organization’s vice president for the last four years, assumes the role of president and CEO.
After the leadership transition was first announced in February, Bob and Rebekah sat down with each other to discuss the current challenges to voting rights, the opportunity Fair Elections Center has to continue its mission to remove barriers for all eligible voters, and how their unique experiences have complemented each other’s strengths.
Watch their full conversation at the link in our bio (youtu.be/f7QTNkgQiCw)
To close out Pride Month, Student Advisory Board LGBTQIA+ Representative Naomi Barbour is sharing some of her personal heroes in the queer community.
From local advocates to civil rights lawyers, Naomi`s list sheds light on some activists you might not know, but who have made a huge impact on the LGBTQIA+ rights movement!
Comment below your Pride Month Heroes🌈
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Click the link in our bio to learn more about Campus Vote Project`s Student Advisory Board (campusvoteproject.org/student-advisory-board/)
#lgbtq #pride
June is Immigrant Heritage Month!
To celebrate, Fair Elections Center Communications Intern Yasmine Ganemtore reflected on what it felt like to vote for the first time, knowing her parents didn`t have the same opportunity.
“When I walked into the polling place, I felt the significance of that moment," she writes. "My vote represented a transition: from inherited experience to active citizenship.”
Read her story at the link in our bio (bit.ly/fecimmigrantheritageblog)
🚨Virginia🚨
Tomorrow is your state primary! You have the opportunity to decide which candidates will be on the ballot in November in races for the next Governor, Attorney General, House of Delegates and more.
Vote your values and make your voice heard! Learn more about voting in Virginia at the link in our bio (bit.ly/fecvavote)
Today, Fair Elections Center released the following statement from Robert Brandon, President & CEO, on the assassination and attempted assassination of two Minnesota state legislators and their spouses in Minnesota:
“Our hearts break for the family and loved ones of State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark, and we remain hopeful for a full recovery of State Senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette. We stand with the people of Minnesota, shaken and dismayed by this horrific tragedy, and we pray for the safety of the elected officials currently on precautionary lockdown.
Fueled by hyper-partisanship and the normalization of partisan hate, this extreme act of political violence inflicts another deep wound to our troubled democracy. We condemn this specific manifestation of partisan hatred, as we condemn those who stoke the fires of political violence.
For the sake of a thriving democracy, with just representation, it is intolerable that our elected officials and other public servants should live in fear for their safety and the safety of their families.
It is our deepest hope that this terrible moment be the final stop along that dark path. Let us instead use the tools of democracy—free and fair elections, the right to free expression and debate—to bring our communities together and return our country and our collective future to the path of being a healthy and functioning democracy.”
Meet the leaders of tomorrow 🎓️
Thank you to all the graduating Democracy Fellows, Student Advisory Board Representatives, and interns that shared their college journey with Campus Vote Project! We are so proud of all the work that you`ve done on and off campus — now its time to use the skills you`ve learned to change the world!
Read more about our graduating students and learn about the impact CVP has on the next generation of movers and shakers at the link in our bio (bit.ly/cvpgrads)
Voting shouldn`t be this hard, don`t you agree?
The so-called "SAVE" Act isn`t about saving anything—it`s about intimidating and silencing eligible voters. Our #freedom to vote ensures we have a voice on the issues that matter most, like healthcare, education, and financial stability. Some politicians think it`s okay to threaten that freedom by creating unnecessary barriers to voter registration. We know they`re wrong.
If you oppose making it harder for eligible Americans to #vote , including women, people in the military, Native Americans, and the working class, contact your U.S. Senators and tell them to oppose the SAVE Act.
Learn more about the harmful impact documentary proof of citizenship laws have on voters nationwide at the link in our bio (fairelectionscenter.org/citizenship-fact)
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