Democracy works better with a large and representative electorate reflective of our nation’s diverse communities. When people have confidence that their vote will be counted as cast and that election results are accurate, they tend to show up on election day.

Voter confidence in elections is crucial. For many communities of color, a history of disenfranchisement and voter suppression has undercut trust. New threats have also grown with recent developments: foreign cyberattacks on elections and campaigns, disinformation wars spurring polarization and disengagement, partisans gaming the system for political advantage, and alarmist language that exaggerates risks. As election officials rise to these challenges, progress is uneven across states and districts.

The Trust in Elections strategy strengthens the election system by collaborating with a coalition of partners on practical efforts to:

• Fortify the elections field with practical solutions and best practices supported by collaboration between researchers, cybersecurity experts, advocates, government officials and election officials
• Provide election officials with cyber security training, tools, and strategies for crisis mitigation and communication
• Inform policy that guides and funds elections at the local and state level
• Develop tools to monitor, expose, and combat foreign interference and disinformation
• Equip state and local election officials to conduct risk-limiting audits
• Track public confidence and build awareness around genuine risks and appropriate safeguards
• Explore ways to earn the trust of groups less likely to participate in elections today due to systemic marginalization
• Establish protections against political gamesmanship and partisan conflicts of interest