The increasingly polarised political scene in the US has prompted the world’s largest voluntary association of lawyers to look at ways to improve public trust in the election system. The American Bar Association’s new Task Force for American Democracy, announced at the ABA’s annual meeting in Denver, Colorado, will focus on: 

  • Depoliticising the administration of elections
  • Educating the public on the principles of democracy and 'driving ownership of those principles into the American culture'
  • Identifying and advancing improvements and innovations in election systems to 'address the root causes of the current politicisation and lack of trust in our elections and in our democracy’. 

The task force will host listening tours and public conversations, as well as one-on-one and smaller discussions, with a broad spectrum of Americans to hear their concerns, experiences and suggestions, the ABA said. 

Portrait of Mary Smith

ABA president Mary L. Smith: 'Our democracy is in peril'

Source: ABA

'Our democracy is in peril,' said ABA president Mary L. Smith. 'Attempts to overturn election results, the politicisation of election processes, and threats to election administrators and election officials have shown the necessity for the bar, the business community and all Americans to act to fortify our democracy. The nation’s more than 1.3 million attorneys represented by the ABA have a special obligation and responsibility to step up and speak out in defense and support of our imperiled democracy.’

The task force is co-chaired by former US Court of Appeals Judge J. Michael Luttig and former homeland security secretary Jeh Charles Johnson. Members of the task force 'represent a bipartisan group of recognised national leaders with expertise in American government, democracy and the rule of law', the ABA said. 

 

This article is now closed for comment.