Issue One

Meet the Faces of Democracy: Karen Brinson Bell - Issue One An interview that's part of a series highlighting the election heroes who are the faces of democracy.

How has the election administration profession changed since 2020?

Election officials have become household names, explains #FacesOfDemocracy member Karen Brinson Bell, the former head of elections in North Carolina. https://tinyurl.com/4zs2b5mz

Meet the Faces of Democracy: Karen Brinson Bell - Issue One An interview that's part of a series highlighting the election heroes who are the faces of democracy.

“When you realize how much of a difference your work makes, how do you not keep going?”

Karen Brinson Bell is an experienced North Carolina election administrator and steward of local democracy. Get to know her in this #FacesOfDemocracy Q&A: https://tinyurl.com/4zs2b5mz

Last year, Issue One helped move the Restoring Trust in Congress Act through the House. The bill would prohibit members of Congress — and their spouses and dependents — from owning or trading individual securities, commodities, futures, or derivatives while serving in office.
#2025Recap

Meet the Faces of Democracy: Karen Brinson Bell - Issue One An interview that's part of a series highlighting the election heroes who are the faces of democracy.

Meet Karen Brinson Bell! North Carolina’s former chief election official discusses running elections amid hurricanes and her love of NC State sports and travel in our latest Meet the #FacesOfDemocracy Q&A: https://tinyurl.com/4zs2b5mz

This vote matters — it signals to Americans that they're standing up for their constitutional authority and pushing back against actions that chip away at our system of checks and balances.

Senate advances measure to restrict Trump's power to use military force in Venezuela Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine, who led the bipartisan resolution, said that Trump's actions in Venezuela are "clearly illegal" because he did not seek congressional approval.

📣 Shoutout to the 52 senators who voted to advance this bipartisan resolution today! www.nbcnews.com/politics/con...

Senators Coons, Cassidy, introduce bipartisan bill to boost social media transparency WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Bill Cassidy (R-La.) introduced the bipartisan Platform Accountability and Transparency Act (PATA), a bill that would ensure social media companies ...

Kudos to Senators Coons and Cassidy for introducing PATA, which will help ensure social media companies are more transparent and allow for independent research into the effects they are having on Americans. www.coons.senate.gov/news/press-r...

"The Platform Accountability and Transparency Act shines a light into [social media platforms'] black box by empowering independent researchers, protecting their work, and requiring platforms to be transparent about how they operate," says Council for Responsible Social Media Co-chair Dick Gephardt.

Another highlight of 2025: In response to executive power grabs by the Trump administration, we launched our CheckTheExec campaign to encourage members of Congress to reassert congressional oversight.

CheckTheExec.org

Meet the Faces of Democracy: Karen Brinson Bell - Issue One An interview that's part of a series highlighting the election heroes who are the faces of democracy.

How has the election administration profession changed since 2020?

Election officials have become household names, explains #FacesOfDemocracy member Karen Brinson Bell, the former head of elections in North Carolina. https://tinyurl.com/4zs2b5mz

Issue One staff accomplished so much in 2025, but there are plenty of exciting opportunities to strengthen our democracy in 2026. Here's what IO staff are proud of, and what's to come.

More in our Substack: https://thereformcompass.substack.com/p/look-back-look-ahead

A healthy, accountable information ecosystem is essential to preserving democracy and ensuring free, fair, and secure elections.

Instead, major technology companies have aggressively lobbied to weaken critical cybersecurity infrastructure, attacked independent researchers working to protect democracy, and consolidated their influence at the highest levels of government.

The January 6 insurrection was a snapshot of a polarized democracy with a broken information environment — in part warped by Big Tech’s ruthless pursuit of profit. Five years later, Congress has still failed to enact meaningful reforms to hold these companies accountable for their harms. (🧵)

Last year, Issue One helped move the Restoring Trust in Congress Act through the House. The bill would prohibit members of Congress — and their spouses and dependents — from owning or trading individual securities, commodities, futures, or derivatives while serving in office.
#2025Recap

The lesson for the 2026 elections is clear: We must protect elections well before Election Day, with clear rules and fair, trusted processes to ensure voters’ choices are respected — no matter who wins.

On the 5th anniversary of the January 6 insurrection, we are reminded of the consequences to our democracy when evidence and court rulings are ignored, false narratives run rampant, and legitimate election outcomes are attacked.

Another highlight of 2025: In response to executive power grabs by the Trump administration, we launched our CheckTheExec campaign to encourage members of Congress to reassert congressional oversight.

CheckTheExec.org

Meet the Faces of Democracy: Karen Brinson Bell - Issue One An interview that's part of a series highlighting the election heroes who are the faces of democracy.

“When you realize how much of a difference your work makes, how do you not keep going?”

Karen Brinson Bell is an experienced North Carolina election administrator and steward of local democracy. Get to know her in this #FacesOfDemocracy Q&A: https://tinyurl.com/4zs2b5mz

Issue One staff accomplished so much in 2025, but there are plenty of exciting opportunities to strengthen our democracy in 2026. Here's what IO staff are proud of, and what's to come.

More in our Substack: https://thereformcompass.substack.com/p/look-back-look-ahead

Meet the Faces of Democracy: Karen Brinson Bell - Issue One An interview that's part of a series highlighting the election heroes who are the faces of democracy.

Meet Karen Brinson Bell! North Carolina’s former chief election official discusses running elections amid hurricanes and her love of NC State sports and travel in our latest Meet the #FacesOfDemocracy Q&A: https://tinyurl.com/4zs2b5mz

As the holiday season comes to an end, we're sharing a few 2025 highlights. Last year, Issue One supported groundbreaking campaign-finance efforts in Maine & Montana, filing bipartisan amicus briefs and commissioning polling showing strong public support for reform.

Issue One staff accomplished so much in 2025, but there are plenty of exciting opportunities to strengthen our democracy in 2026. Here's what IO staff are proud of, and what's to come.

More in our Substack: https://thereformcompass.substack.com/p/look-back-look-ahead

Rebuilding Trust: Common Election Myths You Can Bust Around the Dinner Table This Holiday Season As former election officials, we’ve seen firsthand the damage that false narratives and fraying trust in our country’s e

Our elections are secure because election officials know exactly what they're doing. If you hear common myths or misinformation this holiday season, you can help build confidence by sharing facts straight from the source. https://thefulcrum.us/elections/election-myths-debunk-rebuilding-trust

Rebuilding Trust: Common Election Myths You Can Bust Around the Dinner Table This Holiday Season As former election officials, we’ve seen firsthand the damage that false narratives and fraying trust in our country’s e

Our elections are secure because election officials know exactly what they're doing. If you hear common myths or misinformation this holiday season, you can help build confidence by sharing facts straight from the source. https://thefulcrum.us/elections/election-myths-debunk-rebuilding-trust

Rebuilding Trust: Common Election Myths You Can Bust Around the Dinner Table This Holiday Season As former election officials, we’ve seen firsthand the damage that false narratives and fraying trust in our country’s e

Our elections are secure because election officials know exactly what they're doing. If you hear common myths or misinformation this holiday season, you can help build confidence by sharing facts straight from the source. https://thefulcrum.us/elections/election-myths-debunk-rebuilding-trust

Issue One urges members of Congress to support bipartisan stock trading ban discharge petition - Issue One Statement in response to the introduction of legislation by House Democrats that would ban members of Congress and execu

Congressional stock trading bans stalled in the past because of partisan disagreements, but The Restore Trust in Congress Act was negotiated in good faith by both parties.

This is how Congress was designed to work. https://issueone.org/press/bipartisan-stock-trading-ban-discharge-petition/

WATCH: Trump signs executive order to override AI regulations by states President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday pressuring states not to regulate artificial intelligence.

A new executive order could pit the federal government against states on AI rules. Why shouldn't states be able to protect consumers & privacy with their own laws?
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/watch-trump-signs-executive-order-to-override-ai-regulations-by-states

Trump’s War on “Censorship” is a War on Civil Society Issue One calls for transparency into State Department’s decision to deny H1-B visas to online safety researchers.

The FOIA demands transparency on the internal criteria used to target these workers. Using visa policy to stifle knowledge and expertise sets a dangerous precedent for democracy and online safety.

We just filed a FOIA request to expose how the U.S. State Department is implementing a sweeping policy to deny H-1B visas to experts countering misinformation and online harms under the guise of “combating censorship.”