Issue One
Cross-partisan political reform group in Washington, uniting Republicans, Democrats, and independents to fix our broken system. We focus on money in politics, tech reform and accountability, and free and fair elections. www.issueone.org
- 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. tinyurl.com/4zs2b5mz
- “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: 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 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: tinyurl.com/4zs2b5mz
- 📣 Shoutout to the 52 senators who voted to advance this bipartisan resolution today! www.nbcnews.com/politics/con...
- 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.
- "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.
- 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...
- 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
- 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. 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: thereformcompass.substack.com/p/look-back-look-ahead
- 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. (🧵)
- 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.
- A healthy, accountable information ecosystem is essential to preserving democracy and ensuring free, fair, and secure elections.
- 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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
- “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: 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: thereformcompass.substack.com/p/look-back-look-ahead
- 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: 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: thereformcompass.substack.com/p/look-back-look-ahead
- 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. thefulcrum.us/elections/election-…
- 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. thefulcrum.us/elections/election-…
- 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. thefulcrum.us/elections/election-…
- 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. issueone.org/press/bipartisan-st…
- 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? pbs.org/newshour/politics/w…
- 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.”
- 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.
- This is what it looks like to stand up for our democracy: Indiana Republican state senators defied pressure, threats, and intimidation to reject partisan gerrymandering and uphold fair elections.
- Resisting influence of party leaders and wealthy special interests, the Indiana Senate voted to protect voters, election workers, and democratic norms from partisan politics after being subjected to swatting incidents and bomb threats.
- When democratic institutions are under strain, individual choices matter more than ever. Get the facts in the 3rd edition of Profiles in Constitutional Courage and Cowardice.
- 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? pbs.org/newshour/politics/w…
- 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? pbs.org/newshour/politics/w…
- This year, several universities have cut ethically questionable deals with the federal government in exchange for federal dollars — a disheartening choice that weakens the independence of civil institutions. thereformcompass.substack.com/p/constitutional-co…
- "As long as I have breath, I will use my voice to resist a federal government that attempts to bully, direct and control this state or any state. Giving the federal government more power is not conservative." This is the kind of courage we need in Congress. tinyurl.com/4kfwhnjz
- "As long as I have breath, I will use my voice to resist a federal government that attempts to bully, direct and control this state or any state. Giving the federal government more power is not conservative." This is the kind of courage we need in Congress. tinyurl.com/4kfwhnjz
- This year, several universities have cut ethically questionable deals with the federal government in exchange for federal dollars — a disheartening choice that weakens the independence of civil institutions. thereformcompass.substack.com/p/constitutional-co…
- "As long as I have breath, I will use my voice to resist a federal government that attempts to bully, direct and control this state or any state. Giving the federal government more power is not conservative." This is the kind of courage we need in Congress. tinyurl.com/4kfwhnjz
- The Trump administration is going after both red and blue states with AI consumer protection laws after Big Tech spent millions on lobbying and donations. Our safety is for sale. issueone.org/press/condemns-ai-m…
- Despite being swatted and the targets of harassment, lawmakers in Indiana just showed real courage, voting against a bill to gerrymander the state's congressional districts. They refused to play the gerrymandering game, choosing integrity over partisan advantage. www.cnbc.com/2025/12/11/i...
- Maryland lawmakers just refused to play the gerrymandering game and chose integrity over partisan advantage. They put fairness and the voices of voters first. www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/202...
- Now it’s Indiana’s turn. Tomorrow Indiana lawmakers can rise to the moment, vote against joining the gerrymandering war, and show voters the same integrity and courage.
- Wisconsin municipal clerk Toya Harrell’s district boasts a 90% voter turnout. “I’m very proud to serve in a community that takes voting so seriously.” Here’s how she does it: issueone.org/interviews/meet-the…
- The DOJ is going after voter's sensitive information. So far this year, the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division sent requests to more than 40 states seeking unredacted, electronic copies of statewide voter registration files.
- These unprecedented requests included demands for confidential voter information, including driver’s license numbers and partial Social Security numbers. Thankfully, election officials in most states are resisting.
- “This is not normal… Trump’s DOJ is using its immense federal power to try to intimidate us into turning over protected voter data and changing our voting processes to fit President Trump’s whims. We’re not backing down,” says Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows.
- Issue One’s Profiles in Constitutional Courage and Cowardice details who is standing up for our democracy, and contrasts it with instances of complicity that erode our norms and guardrails. Subscribe to our Substack, The Reform Compass, for more.
- "You don't want another deterrence for good people running for office." Banning congressional stock trading will encourage good people to run for office. businessinsider.com/mike-johnson-oppose…
