Carter Centre to launch first-ever US election initiative, citing 'erosion' of democracy

[BeckyDem]

( This good man never stops helping the world we all live in. )


Exclusive: Democracy promotion group founded by Jimmy Carter will launch US-focused initiative for first time in its history

Richard HallNew York @_richardhall
2 days ago

The democracy promotion organisation founded by former president Jimmy Carter is to launch its first United States election initiative this year, citing an “erosion” of democracy in the country.

The Carter Centre has monitored more than 110 elections in the Middle East, Africa, Latin America, and Asia since 1989 as part of democracy promotion efforts around the world. Although there are no plans yet to monitor polls in the US, this will be the first time it has engaged in a US election.

“We are now at a point where we have taken an institutional decision to explore some direct engagement on US election issues. And this is a departure from our whole history trying not to do that,” David Carroll, director of the centre’s Democracy Programme, told The Independent.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-election/carter-center-us-election-2020-donald-trump-democracy-a9683011.html

[Laelth]

1. k&r for James Earl Carter, Jr.

To date, he has criticized the integrity of American elections but never got involved in direct monitoring. This year, the Carter Center will be monitoring (from its base in ATL).

I feel a little better already.



-Laelth

[BeckyDem]

2. Me too. It is terrible it needs to be this way but he is spot on.

It must be done.

[MyOwnPeace]

3. While the director said,

" 'And this is a departure from our whole history trying not to do that,' David Carroll, director of the centre’s Democracy Programme, told The Independent.

....what he probably meant to say was: "I can't F**KING believe we have to do this here in our own country because of that crooked M****R-F****R!!!!"

(yeah, I know, chances are VERY SLIM that someone working for President Jimmy Carter would ever talk like that, but you KNOW 1 or 2 member of DU would!)

[BeckyDem]

4. lol

[JudyM]

5. More info from the article

In the past, he added, the centre has prioritised countries where there is “a significant potential for an important change in the quality of democracy”, or where democracy is “under severe threat”... “Until the last 10 years, we wouldn’t have thought of the US in that category. But it’s been increasingly the view of the Carter Centre that the state of democracy in the US has been eroding.”

The Carter Centre is still in the early stages of deciding exactly what its US mission will look like or who will be involved. But it is likely to focus on raising awareness and analysis on some of the issues arising in this year’s election cycle, such as mail-in ballots.

“We want to put a focus on the things that we do internationally: [stressing] the importance of transparency mechanisms around an election as a means to really build confidence in the election process, and to try to break down mistrust and misinformation about what’s going on,” said Mr Carroll.

“And we see increasingly these problems that we never really saw on any scale in the US, but we see them internationally all the time, where there’s just a great deal of distrust and a lack of awareness.”

[BeckyDem]

6. NEVER really saw on any scale in the US before.

We have moved up the scary ladder w/Trump and his henchmen McConnell.

I am relieved Carter Center is participating and in a pro-active way. It should help keep the process transparent and citizens informed instead of the hysteria Trump will create when he loses.

Nice to see you, JudyM.

[JudyM]

7. It's a shame no authoritative adults have stepped in before this. Bush v Gore was a travesty,

and Greg Palance and others demonstrated electronic vote switching since ‘04/Kerry, junior high kids showed they can hack into the equipment which is produced and run by partisan rethug donors, targeted disenfranchisement has been starkly on display for far too long, as well. It’s our responsibility for fixing this since they are unscrupulous and we’re the ones being hurt.

I hope we’re really learning how to fight back this time!

Good to see you, too, BeckyDem, thanks!

[BeckyDem]

8. I hope so, will be paying an unimaginable price if we don't.