Daily Resource Highlight - 08/01/2022

Posted by on August 01, 2022 at 2:48 PM

Below are the highlights and featured resources of this past week’s Daily* Resource.

July 26, 2022 - Voting Resources for You and for Teams; And Protecting What We Already Have

As we inch our way to Election Day, we’re going to see more and more organizations stepping up to help everyday citizens get ready to vote. Common Ground Committee has already created a “Voting & Elections” page that helps users research candidates, understand voting reforms, and register to vote. And we are anticipating that Team Democracy will have its own Election Resources Center soon.

Then we have our friends at AllVoteNoPlay, who created this summer guide for NCAA athletes to become better citizens (but which can be used by everyday citizens, too!). That guide is part of a larger effort to get college athletes engaged, which was created for the NCAA mandated #AllVoteNoPlay Day on the first Tuesday after November 1st each year.

Equally important to voting, though, is supporting election administration. That’s why we are proud to announce that our newest strategic partner is Power the Polls. PTP connects Americans with their local election administrators to make sure that all polling locations have adequate staff on Election Day. They helped place over 700,000 poll workers for the incredibly challenging 2020 elections.

If you are interested in learning more about becoming a poll worker, click here.

Finally, it appears that Congress is stepping up to the plate to clarify the Electoral Count Act (ECA) of 1887. As R Street notes, the ECA was enacted to determine how electoral votes should be counted, but it has a lot of ambiguity, which was used to create confusion and turmoil in 2020. A group of 15 bipartisan Senators (8 Republicans and 7 Democrats) have co-sponsored a bill to clarify the law. 

R Street Institute applauds the effort, while also urging lawmakers to not just “fight the last war.” R Street argues that any bill should (1) explicitly limit the Vice President’s powers in counting votes; (2) address how and when electors can be rejected; and (3) make it harder for members of Congress to challenge electoral votes.

July 28, 2022 - TechCongress & Citizen University Looking for Fellows; Growing Role of Tech in Civic Life

Back when I was in grade school, I’d often hear about how the internet was gradually flattening the world – allowing people to connect from anywhere. The COVID-19 pandemic took that trend and pressed fast forward. Virtual events are now the norm (check out Citizen Connect), even as in-person meetings have started happening again.

This has created some incredible opportunities – like the ability to join a Civic Saturday gathering from anywhere. These gatherings turn citizenship into a spiritual experience, and now you can learn how to host them as Civic Saturday Fellowship! You can learn more by clicking here. Applications are due August 1st.

Meanwhile, we previously told you how TechCongress helped Congress stay operational during the pandemic. Like any good technologists, though, TechCongress is still working to bring our Congress fully into the 21st century. This summer they did that by placing 10 outstandingly talented, tech-savvy fellows on the Hill.

Now they are looking to recruit the next wave of technologists for Congress. If you are early or in the middle of your tech career, apply for their 2023 Fellowship program! Or if you know somebody whose expertise and know-how could really impact Congress in a great way, nominate them! If they are accepted, you could win $500. Applications are due August 10th. 

For more information about the programs, check out this informative podcast.

Next week we’ll talk about local civic engagement and patriots. But for today, let’s take a moment to appreciate how technology has allowed us to connect in ways that were the stuff of science fiction just a few decades ago – it has given us the opportunity to help Americans connect from sea to shining sea.

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