Supporting Free and Fair Elections | Equal Participants in Our Democracy

Since 1980 women have registered and voted at higher rates than men. Women are twice as likely to serve as poll workers. The 118th Congress has the most women in history, but they are just 28 percent of members. What will it take to see parity in the halls of Capitol Hill and in elected positions across the nation? And how can we work together to eliminate systemic obstacles and uphold our democracy?
On May 15 in Washington, D.C., The 19th News will host a series of conversations about the crucial role of women and LGBTQ+ people in our democracy - and what’s preventing them from full participation.
Supporting free and fair elections means supporting women. Making up more than 80% of local election officials - women make our elections possible. They too often face threats, harassment, and difficult working conditions. In this conversation, we’ll learn about women’s leadership in our elections and how we can support women and strengthen democracy.
Meet our speakers:
Lizzie Ulmer, Senior Vice President, Strategy and Communications for States United Democracy Center
Nicole Sawran, senior director for advocacy and public affairs for Pivotal Ventures
About The 19th (19thnews.org/)
The 19th is an independent nonprofit newsroom reporting at the intersection of gender, politics and policy. We aim to empower women, people of color and the LGBTQ+ community with the information, community and tools they need to be equal participants in our democracy. The 19th aims to level the playing field with:
-Free-to-consume and free-to-republish journalism that reimagines politics and policy coverage through a gender lens
-Deep-dive, evidence-based reporting that exposes gender inequity and injustice, and reveals surprising and original stories on the issues that most deeply affect our readers’ lives, from health care to the economy
-A newsroom that reflects the nation’s diversity, and is devoted to covering all people with empathy
-A digital platform for civil conversations and community building, and national events that bring our readers into direct contact with their elected officials
The 19th aims to be a home for all people affected by the issues we cover. To that end, all members of our community are expected to observe our community guidelines when engaging on our website, newsletters, social channels, events or other platforms.