The California Voter Foundation (CVF) announced today that it has received a $100,000 grant from Craig Newmark Philanthropies to support its continuing leadership of the Election Community Network, a nonpartisan, nationwide collaboration of academic, nonprofit, government and philanthropic leaders working to support and protect U.S. election officials and election administration.

While the 2022 election was relatively peaceful, the threats against election officials and their staff have not subsided, and many political leaders continue to perpetuate false election security claims that fuel unfounded conspiracy theories and election denialism. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, election officials and their staff reported receiving over 1,000 threats in 2022.

“The threat of political violence is still very present and a new reality in American politics that we must prepare for and continue to address,” said Cathy Darling Allen, CVF’s Board Chair and Shasta County, CA County Clerk and Registrar of Voters. “In this continuingly challenging climate, it is imperative that U.S. election leaders maintain open lines of communication with each other and work collaboratively to support election officials, their staff, and election administration.”

CVF will to continue supporting and building the Election Community Network in advance of the 2024 Presidential Election to strengthen connections across sectors and fields that help foster security and safety for the U.S. voting process and the people who administer it.  The network is especially focused on increasing election administration funding, strengthening legal and law enforcement protections for elections staff, and curtailing harmful election mis- and disinformation. 

Since 2021, CVF’s election security work has focused on protecting the personnel responsible for administering U.S. elections, beginning with the release of its landmark report, “Documenting and Addressing Harassment of Election Officials”, online at calvoter.org/harassment. Following the report’s release, CVF launched the Election Community Network with an initial $157,000 grant from Craig Newmark Philanthropies.

“CVF’s facilitation of the Election Community Network is connecting, informing, serving and inspiring leaders across the country working in the field of elections,” said CVF President Kim Alexander. “We are deeply grateful to Craig Newmark Philanthropies for his ongoing support of this crucial work.”

The California Voter Foundation is a nonprofit, nonpartisan 501(c)(3) organization working since 1994 to improve the voting process to better serve voters, online at www.calvoter.org.