Democracy Docket

Democracy Docket
Founded2020
Location
Founder
Marc Elias
WebsiteOfficial website Edit this at Wikidata

Democracy Docket is a voting rights and media platform that tracks election litigation. It has been described as liberal-leaning[1] and progressive.[2][3][4] It was founded in 2020 by Democratic Party lawyer Marc Elias and is published by Democracy Docket, LLC.

Elias launched Democracy Docket on March 5, 2020, with the stated goal of educating the public on voting rights and redistricting litigation.[5][6] In explaining why he founded the platform, Elias shared that "for years people would always ask me about the courts and democracy, but there was never one place for me to point them to specifically for reliable and up-to-date information about what's happening with voting, elections, and democracy in the courts. Of course, 2020 turned out to be a good year to start a pro-democracy news outlet, since the courts were so central, particularly in the post-election period, in preserving our democracy."[4]

Elias was concerned that the Republican Party would have a newfound freedom in its efforts, as a court order prohibiting the party from past voter suppression tactics had expired.[7] Writing that, in one Republican leader's words, the Republican Party planned to sue Democrats "into oblivion and spend whatever is necessary", Elias envisioned Democracy Docket as a platform to raise awareness and support efforts to defend election rules and results from Republican lawsuits in what was anticipated to be a close presidential election.[8]

Democracy Docket has advocated for making absentee voting more accessible, arguing that postage for mail-in ballots must be free or prepaid by the government, that ballots postmarked on or before election day must count, that signature matching laws should be reformed, and that community organizations should be permitted to help collect and deliver voted, sealed ballots.[5]

Democracy Docket has written on legal efforts to restrict voting rights. This includes removal of ballot drop box lawsuits initiated by former Trump administration staff and advisors. Ballot drop boxes were popularized due to the 2019 global coronavirus pandemic and the associated  minimizing of in-person polling place voting.[9][10] Democracy Docket has also reported about the numerous redistricting congressional district lawsuits filed in several states prior to the 2024 elections.[11][12][13]

As of June 2024, Democracy Docket claimed more than 175,000 newsletter subscribers.[4] Its podcast Defending Democracy has featured guests such as Hillary Clinton and Eric Holder, and has 2.3 million views.[4]

  1. ^ Sneed, Tierney; Schouten, Fredreka (2022-11-07). "Avalanche of early lawsuits could pave way for disputes over Tuesday's election results". CNN. Retrieved 2023-05-03.
  2. ^ Lerner, Kira (2023-01-09). "Republicans filed record number of anti-voting lawsuits in 2022 – report". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-05-03.
  3. ^ Rubin, Jennifer (March 5, 2023). "Opinion | Minnesota's vote to re-enfranchise felons is a victory for democracy". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2023-05-03.
  4. ^ a b c d Crowell, Maddy (June 10, 2024). "A Little to the Left". Columbia Journalism Review. Retrieved 2024-06-27.
  5. ^ a b Newblom, Michelle (18 August 2020). "'Democracy is literally on the ballot' and Marc Elias's Democracy Docket is fighting for your right to vote". This Week in Legal Blogging. LexBlog. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  6. ^ Roe, Dan (2021-02-01). "Analysis: Perkins Coie's Marc Elias Became Every Democrat's Favorite Lawyer. Now He Wants to Reform Democracy Itself". Law.com.
  7. ^ Debenedetti, Gabriel (2020-06-22). "Are We Headed for a Voter-Suppression Catastrophe in November?". New York. Archived from the original on 2020-06-22. Retrieved 2021-03-14.
  8. ^ Isenstadt, Alex (2020-05-07). "Trump intensifies war with Democrats over voting laws". Politico. Archived from the original on 2020-05-08. Retrieved 2021-03-14.
  9. ^ Orenstein, Robert H. (2022-09-12). "Group led by Stephen Miller, Mark Meadows sues Lehigh Co. over ballot drop-off boxes". Pennsylvania Capital-Star. Retrieved 2023-02-06.
  10. ^ Mordowanec, Nick (2023-02-03). "Trump Does Complete 180 on Election Issue". Newsweek. Retrieved 2023-02-06.
  11. ^ Altimari, Daniela (5 February 2023). "Redistricting lawsuits could shape the 2024 battle for House control". Buffalo News. Retrieved 2023-02-06.
  12. ^ Mondeaux, Cami. "Republicans hold slight advantage in race for House control in first ratings for 2024 cycle". Colorado Politics. Archived from the original on 2023-02-06. Retrieved 2023-02-06.
  13. ^ "Republicans hold slight advantage in race for House control in first ratings for 2024 cycle". Washington Examiner. 2023-02-02. Retrieved 2023-02-06.