It has been reported by The New York Times that the Democratic Association of Secretaries of State has launched a plan called “Value the Vote,” which is funded by the Democratic party. This plan aims to provide $10 million in funding to support the security of election officials in states that were targeted by conspiracy theorists aligned with the MAGA movement. The group also intends to allocate funding for voter registration efforts and combating disinformation.
The initiative has raised $2.5 million out of its $10 million goal so far. The focus of this effort will be on states like Arizona, Georgia, Wisconsin, Nevada, and North Carolina, all of which were at the center of conspiracy theories during the 2020 election.
The motivation behind this plan comes in response to threats that emerged against election workers following former President Donald Trump’s claims of election fraud in 2020.
These threats against election workers have contributed to what some watchdogs have referred to as “The Great Resignation” of election workers. The intention of the “Value the Vote” initiative is to ensure that election officials can perform their duties safely and without fear. The group’s executive director, Travis Brimm, highlighted that election officials deserve the right to feel safe while carrying out their responsibilities.
It’s noteworthy that the plan has committed to providing equal funding to election workers from both the Democratic and Republican parties. However, there are concerns about the potential risks associated with linking security funding to a political party, especially in a time of heightened political polarization.
The article also points out that the security funding could be an early test for new laws in Georgia and Arizona that prohibit outside funding of elections. These laws were enacted in response to conservative criticisms of grants made by an organization connected to Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, which was often referred to as “Zuckerbucks” by right-wing media outlets. Additionally, Republicans in North Carolina are seeking to pass similar legislation that would ban outside funding for election officials.
For further details, you can read the full article from The New York Times.
