Rally to Highlight Impact of the Revelations By the January 6 Committee and Ongoing Threats to Freedom to Vote
Bipartisan investigations by the U.S. House January 6 Select Committee have shown that former President Donald Trump and his allies engaged in a criminal conspiracy, knowingly made false claims, and incited a violent attack on the Capitol in order to overturn the 2020 election and stop the peaceful transfer of power. The same individuals are continuing work to sabotage our elections: They are changing state laws, threatening state officials, and packing election administration offices so that they can have the final say over election results. They are continuing to undermine our freedoms and our democracy on every level. They must be held accountable.
In response, people in Syracuse will be gathering at James M. Hanley Federal Building on Thursday, October 20 at 1pm to highlight the local impacts of the hearing revelations, and fight ongoing threats to our freedoms and our vote, including efforts to pass anti–democracy legislation in state houses, run election denier candidates for office, and intimidate election officials.
This event in Syracuse organized by Indivisible NY-22 and is one of more than 70 events planned nationwide between October 13-23 as part of the Our Freedoms, Our Vote actions organized by local grassroots leaders and Common Defense, Public Citizen, Indivisible, Our Revolution, and the Not Above the Law Coalition, which is made up of more than 150 organizations – ranging from legal, national security, netroots, and more – committed to protecting our democracy and fighting for the rule of law. At many of these events, veterans of CommonDefense.us will be re-committing their oath to the constitution, just as they did when they joined the military.
WHO: Speakers will include Elections Commissioner (D), Onondaga County Board of Elections, New York Democratic Caucus Chair New York State Elections who will address threats and harassment facing election officials. Christine Wood, Declaration for American Democracy Coalition, Jonah Minkoff Zern, Public Citizen, and Dana Balter, community leader, and democracy advocate.
WHEN: Friday, October 20 at 11 a.m.
WHERE: James M. Hanley Federal Building 100 S Clinton St, Syracuse, NY 13261
BACKGROUND: According to States United Democracy Center, as of September 13, half the country – 55 percent of the population, living in 27 states – has an election denier running to oversee their elections. Election deniers are on the ballot for the November election in half (50 percent) of the races for governor, as well as more than one-third of races for secretary of state (44 percent) and attorney general (33 percent). In three states – Alabama, Arizona, and Michigan – election deniers are running for all three top statewide positions.
Meanwhile, there have been at least 244 bills introduced in 33 states that would interfere with election administration—and 24 of this year’s bills have become law (or have been adopted) across 17 states.
Election officials are also increasingly targeted in an attempt to undermine future elections. According to a Brennan Center survey, one in six election officials have experienced threats because of their job, and 77 percent say that they feel these threats have increased in recent years. Twenty percent of election officials plan to leave before the 2024 election, with many citing the ongoing threats and intimidation they increasingly face.
