“Rebekah’s focus is always on ‘what’s the result?’” Brandon says of Caruthers. “She is the perfect combination of imagining and anticipating what’s possible while also being practical. Rebekah has dedicated her career to fighting back against bad-faith actors and protecting Americans’ right to vote. I am excited to see her usher in a new era for the organization.”

“Growing up in Omaha, I watched my mom registering people to vote and witnessed civic engagement and community building firsthand,” Caruthers says. “As an adult, my work has taken me all over this country, talking to voters from virtually every demographic group. I reflect on my family story today. My story includes being in the first generation of my family who was born into full civil rights, including voting rights, despite my family being in this country for centuries. So I understand the real-world impacts when there are barriers to voting. As our country grapples with foundational challenges in this moment, that is the lens I bring.”

Over the last 20 years, Fair Elections Center has grown into a leading voting rights organization, helping to expand access to voting among disenfranchised, underrepresented, and marginalized communities. Brandon’s leadership and vision for the organization have been instrumental in empowering millions of Americans to engage in the democratic process, strengthening student participation in elections, recruiting poll workers, and protecting the right to vote through litigation and policy work via the organization’s three main programs: Voting Rights Project, Campus Vote Project, and Work Elections Project. 

Brandon will continue supporting the organization and advising the new president through the 2026 election cycle in his new role. “It has been a pleasure and a privilege building this organization over the past 20 years, collaborating with our tireless, talented staff, our invaluable partners and supporters, and our dear friends across the country,” says Brandon. “I am beyond grateful. As I step down, I’m also extremely proud of the work the organization has done to protect and empower voters, to affect voting laws, to support election officials, and to educate the next generation of voting rights advocates, who now constitute an expanding and influential network of civic leaders.”

“Fair Elections Center is the ‘House that Bob Built,’” says Caruthers. “Bob Brandon is a trailblazer in the public interest who has greatly impacted this country over the course of his long and distinguished career. I am very fortunate to have been by his side, learning from him, over the last few years that we have been running Fair Elections Center together. 

“Now I look forward to taking the best things that we have done over the years and continuing to move those things forward while bringing new ideas to the current fight for democracy. Since I’ve been at Fair Elections Center, our budget has grown by over 300%, with our staff more than doubled. We have grown to meet the demands of the moment. The future of this organization is bright, even in these challenging times where voting rights are under attack. 

“Voting rights are the rights from which all other rights are derived—the principal peaceful path we, as Americans, have for making our voices heard and combating injustice. In a time of encroaching authoritarianism, voting rights are critical when it comes to defending our democracy and our Constitutional rights. The fight for voting rights is a noble one: and every generation needs to keep that fight going to ensure that the wins of the previous generations endure, regardless of political parties or administrations.”

Robert Brandon has more than 50 years of public policy, legislative, media, and campaign experience at the federal, state, and local levels. He has specialized in health policy, tax policy, access to higher education, and internet policy at federal agencies, in Congress, and at the state and local level. Mr. Brandon has experience in all aspects of election law, how mobilization organizations interact with those laws, and on voter suppression. He has been an advisor to the White House on health care strategy and an adjunct lecturer in law at the George Washington University Law School. He has written and testified extensively and appeared on numerous national TV and radio shows. He received his J.D. from the National Law Center at George Washington University where he was an editor of the Law Journal and elected Order of the Coif.

Rebekah Caruthers has worked on political and government projects all across the country. She has managed or consulted on campaigns, voter projects, and with candidates in over thirty states including presidential and down ballot races in battleground states. Ms. Caruthers has worked with several national organizations including MoveOn.org, Everytown for Gun Safety, the National Democratic Training Committee, Equal Justice Works, and the National Network for Arab American Communities. She worked on Capitol Hill for Congressman John Dingell focusing on the Affordable Care Act before moving on to become director of a lobby shop at an energy trade association focusing on tax, energy, and manufacturing issues. She studied law at the University of Nebraska College of Law, studied abroad in South Africa through Howard University School of Law, and received a political science degree from Creighton University. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and the Metropolitan (D.C.) Chapter of the Links, Inc. Caruthers is a member of the Bar of the District of Columbia.

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Fair Elections Center is a nonpartisan organization dedicated to safeguarding the future of our democracy through innovative efforts focused on voting rights and civic engagement. We use advocacy, litigation, organizing, education, and technology to protect and expand the right to vote, understanding the particular impact on disenfranchised, underrepresented, and marginalized communities. Through our unique partnerships with hundreds of campuses across the country, we are able to empower millions of new voters to participate in our democracy. Our litigation and advocacy efforts across dozens of states allows us to anticipate and counteract threats to free and fair elections. With our visionary use of technology we are able to support election administration throughout the nation.

The post Fair Elections Center Welcomes New Leadership Just Ahead of 20th Anniversary appeared first on Fair Elections Center.

When I voted for the first time in the 2024 general election, I became the first person in my family to participate in the democratic process of this country. My parents immigrated here in search of better opportunities, but they never had the chance to vote in the United States. At home, conversations often revolved around news from our country of origin. There was love for our new home, but no road map to political participation in it.

Growing up as a first-generation American, I realized how unfamiliar American politics felt in our household. My parents valued fairness, hard work, and community involvement. However, they did not have the language or cultural knowledge to fully engage with voting and elections here.The civic education I received in school was also limited. I was not taught how to register to vote or how to evaluate a candidate. There were few discussions about policy or political platforms. I knew that if I wanted to understand how to participate, I had to seek out the information myself.

My Self-Directed Civic Education

That journey led me to civic engagement programs that shaped both my political awareness and sense of responsibility. In high school, I joined YVote, where I created educational content on topics such as environmental and criminal justice. These posts reached hundreds of young people on their social media platforms and helped me learn how to explain complex issues in a way that others could understand. I also worked with Next Generation Politics, where I produced similar content to encourage teenagers to reflect on social issues and take action. These early roles showed me how valuable youth voices are in shaping civic understanding.

As I gained more experience, I moved into more direct electoral work. Through some local organizations, I canvassed at polling sites and reached out to voters ahead of the New York primary and even assisted with campaign events and outreach for other later campaigns . Eventually I graduated to national organizations and was able to help mobilize students in Wisconsin to vote in the state judicial elections.

Voting With Intention

These experiences gave me the knowledge and confidence to vote with intention. I researched candidates carefully. I thought critically about policies affecting immigration, education, labor, and public safety—topics I cared about and that directly affected me. While my parents leaned toward the Democratic Party based on their own values and experiences as immigrants, I took the time to form my own understanding. I knew I had a responsibility to cast a vote that reflected both my family’s hopes and my own convictions.

More Than a Milestone

When I walked into the polling place, I felt the significance of that moment. I was not just completing a civic duty. I was participating in something my family had never done before. I was building something new on the foundation they had laid. My vote represented a transition: from inherited experience to active citizenship.

Eager to Vote, Naturalized Citizens Face Barriers to Access

According to a 2022 report from Demos, naturalized citizens are less likely to vote than native-born citizens not because they are apathetic, but because of barriers like language differences, confusing registration systems, and limited civic outreach. The report shows that once registered, naturalized citizens vote at nearly the same rates as native-born citizens. The issue is not desire, it is access and support.

The population of naturalized and first-generation voters is also growing rapidly. A 2024 analysis by the Pew Research Center found that one in ten eligible voters in the United States is now a naturalized citizen. In states like California, Texas, and New York, that number is even higher. These voters are diverse, engaged, and eager to be heard. Still, the report notes that many face ongoing structural challenges when trying to vote, particularly those who speak languages other than English or lack access to translated voting materials.

Joining the Conversation

When I finally cast my ballot, I was aware of all these realities. My vote was a result of research, mentorship, and community work. It was also a statement that first-generation Americans belong in the conversation, and that our stories are part of this country’s ongoing democratic experiment. I felt like I was contributing to something larger than myself.

Today, I study political science in college, driven by the belief that civic education and voting access should be a right, not a privilege. I want future first-generation students to walk into the voting booth prepared and confident. I want schools to teach the practical tools of democracy. I want more community organizations to show up for young people who may not have civic mentors at home.

To be a first-generation American during election season is to build your civic identity from scratch. It means balancing your family’s values with your own understanding of the world. It means showing up, asking questions, and refusing to be left out. It means finally having a voice in a system my parents could only watch from the sidelines.

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These four organizations aim to provide schools and students with the tools and knowledge necessary to get out the vote on campus.

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“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.”

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Fair Elections Center is a non-partisan organization dedicated to safeguarding the future of our democracy through innovative efforts focused on voting rights and civic engagement. We use advocacy, litigation, organizing, education, and technology to protect and expand the right to vote, understanding the particular impact on disenfranchised, underrepresented, and marginalized communities. Through our unique partnerships with hundreds of campuses across the country, we are able to empower millions of new voters to participate in our democracy. Our litigation and advocacy efforts across dozens of states allows us to anticipate and counteract threats to free and fair elections. With our visionary use of technology we are able to support election administration throughout the nation.

The post Fair Elections Center on Political Violence in Minnesota appeared first on Fair Elections Center.

Voting is a basic right in our democracy, but what you may not know is where you vote is often shaped by state law and the decisions of local officials. Along with voter ID laws or registration deadlines, the physical location of polling places plays a major role in how accessible voting really is. These locations are not random. They are often chosen based on statutory requirements, as well as infrastructure limitations, and logistical considerations. These choices about polling place locations can help or hurt voter participation.

For many voters, especially college students, low-income families, and people living in rural areas, access to a polling place can make the difference between voting and not voting. If someone does not have a car, lives far from their assigned polling place, or lacks access to public transportation, casting a ballot in person can become a real challenge. In 2013, the Watauga County Board of Elections in North Carolina attempted to eliminate an on-campus polling place at Appalachian State University by consolidating precincts into a single off-campus location more than a mile from campus, along a road without sidewalks or public transportation. That plan was eventually withdrawn, but in 2016, the Board of Elections again tried to move the polling location from the student union to a flood-prone event hall with poor ventilation and no backup power. That plan was also rejected by the university chancellor. As documented in the FEC’s Democracy’s Future report, this example shows how decisions about polling place locations can be used to suppress the vote, particularly among students and young people.

Most states have detailed requirements for polling places. These requirements may include the number of polling places depending on population, accessibility for people with disabilities, sufficient parking, and the capacity to handle large numbers of voters and election equipment. These standards are important for fairness and safety, but they can also eliminate many otherwise suitable locations. In some areas, especially rural ones, there may be few or no buildings that meet every rule.

Cost is another major factor. Local governments are responsible for funding and staffing polling places. Running multiple locations can be expensive and require a large number of trained workers. To manage these challenges, some counties decide to reduce the number of polling places. While this decision may help save money, it can force people to travel longer distances to vote and make the process much harder for those without reliable transportation.

A 2024 article from The Guardian reported on voting challenges faced by Native American communities in Apache County, Arizona. On Election Day, some polling places opened late or ran out of printed ballots. Others were understaffed. Many voters had already traveled long distances, often through difficult terrain. After waiting in line for hours, some left without voting at all. These issues were not caused by voter ID laws or registration rules but by poor planning and a lack of support for polling locations in remote areas. Once again, access to the ballot, particularly for marginalized voters, was hindered.

One example of community resistance to this kind of disenfranchisement happened in Randolph County, Georgia, in 2018. According to a report by NPR, officials in the county proposed closing seven of its nine polling places before the midterm elections. The plan would have required many residents, most of whom were Black and low-income, to travel long distances to vote. Public transportation in the area was limited, and many people did not have access to a car. The proposal faced strong opposition from community members and civil rights groups and was eventually dropped.

This pushback shows the power of civic engagement. When communities organize and raise their voices, local officials can be held accountable and forced to reconsider harmful decisions. In Randolph County, public pressure preserved access to the ballot and served as a reminder that democracy depends not just on policies, but on the people who defend them.

These examples show how voting access is shaped by more than just legal rights. The structure of elections, including where polling places are placed and how they are supported, affects who can participate. These barriers are especially relevant to students. College campuses often contain large populations of eligible voters, but many do not have polling places nearby. In some cases, campus buildings do not meet the technical requirements. In others, local governments simply do not prioritize campus access when assigning polling sites.

Improving this situation will take a combination of policy changes and public engagement. Community members can begin by learning how polling places are selected in their area. Attending city or county meetings, contacting local election officials, and requesting more accessible sites can help bring the issue into public view. One especially important way to make a difference is by signing up to be a poll worker. When polling places are sufficiently staffed, they’re more likely to run smoothly—and less likely to be shut down. Colleges and student organizations can also contribute by partnering with election offices to open on-campus voting sites or offer transportation to off-campus locations.

Another important step is expanding early voting. When voters have more time to cast their ballots, they face fewer challenges from long lines, busy schedules, or single-day travel issues. Early voting can also give election officials more time to plan for the logistical needs of remote or underserved locations. While some research suggests that early voting alone may not significantly increase turnout among marginalized groups, especially without other reforms in place, it still plays a valuable role in reducing congestion and easing access for many voters. Like other improvements, it works best when paired with outreach and support that centers the needs of those most often left behind.

Transportation access is another key part of the conversation. Some cities have begun offering free public transit on Election Day to help people get to the polls. Companies such as Uber and Lyft have provided free or discounted rides to polling places in past elections. These efforts are not permanent solutions, but they help reduce one of the most common barriers for voters without a car.

Ultimately, voting access is not just about whether people are allowed to vote. It is about whether they can physically get to a place where voting happens. If a polling site is too far away, or if transportation is unavailable, or if a building is ruled out due to overly strict requirements, many voters will be left out. These problems tend to impact low-income communities, rural areas, and students the most.

To create a more inclusive democracy, we all  need to pay attention to how elections are organized on the ground. Decisions by local officials, site requirements, and resource decisions all play a role. These small details determine whether voting is an accessible process or a difficult obstacle.

The right to vote is only meaningful if it can be exercised. Making that possible means focusing on the structure and systems that support voting, not just the laws that define it.

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Georgians are waiting to find out whether much of their state’s sweeping 2021 voting law, which imposed a range of restrictions, will be in place.

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Georgians are waiting to find out whether much of their state’s sweeping 2021 voting law, which imposed a range of restrictions, will be in place.

In North Carolina, procedures for same-day voter registration and voter ID are still being fought over. And the rules to be used by election administrators to run Arizona’s vote also are up in the air.

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