Hot Topic-Election Misinformation Can Sabotage Democracy: What Can We Do About It?

Friday, March 10, 2023 - 12:00pm

Join us on Friday, March 10, 2023 at Noon on Zoom for Hot Topic - Election Misinformation Can Sabotage Democracy: What Can We Do About It?. Research, legal and advocacy experts from The Brennan Center for Justice, a nonpartisan law and policy institute, will help us understand the impact of misinformation on democracy.

The mission of The Brennan Center for Justice strives to uphold the values of democracy and stands for equal justice and the rule of law plus works to craft and advance reforms that will make American democracy work for all.

According to The New York Times, Pennsylvania led the country in 2020 with the highest volume of misinformation about voting-by-mail across tallied social media posts and other sources. In addition, Ari Shapiro of National Public Radio (NPR) stated “Pennsylvania is still grappling with the legacy of the 2020 election more than two years later. Recent contests in the swing state have become hotbeds for election deniers and misinformation. And many local officials are concerned about how that could affect upcoming elections, including next year's presidential race”.

Our Hot Topic presenters will share insights from the Midterm Monitor, an interactive tool launched by The Brennan Center for Justice to help users understand the online conversation about the elections. Learn from the researchers and authors and hear suggestions about how civic organizations like LWV-CDC can counter election misinformation.

The Brennan Center for Justice presenters will be:

Dr. Maya Kornberg is a researcher on the Elections and Government Program, where she leads work related to information and disinformation in politics, Congress, and money in politics. She has worked on democratic governance issues at nonprofits, international organizations, think tanks, and academic institutions. Her book Inside Congressional Committees: Function and Dysfunction in the Legislative Process has just been published by Columbia University Press.
Mekela Panditharatne serves as counsel for the Brennan Center’s Democracy Program, where her work focuses on election reform, election security, governance, voting, truth and information. Mekela was previously an attorney with Earthjustice, where she engaged in a wide range of federal litigation and policy work. She served as counsel for Native American Tribes.
Ruby Edlin is an Advocacy Campaign Coordinator in the Democracy Program, where she focuses on election security and disinformation. Prior to joining the Brennan Center, Ruby worked as an organizer on two congressional campaigns.

The Hot Topic presentation is FREE but to receive the link to the Zoom Virtual Presentation via email you MUST Register.

PLEASE REGISTER & SUBMIT QUESTIONS - CLICK HERE

The presentation is being coordinated through the LWV-CDC Civic Education Committee and is Part 1 of a two-part series on how to deal with mis & dis information in a democracy. Part 2 Hot Topic - Navigating Challenges of Civil Discourse: Strategies to Build Bridges is scheduled for March 31 at Noon via Zoom. To learn more about Part 2 and to register CLICK HERE.

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