For the Common Good: Federal Election Commission & U.S. Election Assistance Commission

Welcome to the latest edition of Women Employed’s series, For the Common Good, where we are meeting this moment with important information that cuts through the rhetoric, and providing actions you can take to make an impact.

This issue arrives with some urgency. Our voting rights are at stake. The Senate could vote any day on the SAVE Act, a bill that could strip voting rights from tens of millions of eligible American citizens. The House has already approved this dangerous bill. We urge you to take action now to prevent the SAVE Act from becoming the law.

Meanwhile, the administration is also taking steps to destroy the independence of the Federal Election Commission (FEC) and the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) — two agencies that, together, protect the integrity of our elections and ensure Americans have the ability to vote. This would allow the president to exert more control over elections and make voting more difficult, undermining the fundamental premise of our democracy — a free and fair vote.

How much do YOU know about the FEC, the EAC, and their important work? Watch this short video for 3 things YOU need to know. Then keep reading to learn more about their work, and to TAKE ACTION.

The FEC’s and EAC’s Mission and Work

The Federal Election Commission, or FEC, was established in 1974, in response to the alarming financial abuses of the Nixon campaign. The FEC administers and enforces campaign finance laws, and has jurisdiction over campaigns for federally elected officials — like the president. They enforce laws that govern public disclosure of campaign funding, restrictions on campaign contributions and expenditures, and the public financing of presidential campaigns. They also investigate and prosecute violations, and audit campaigns for compliance.

The U.S. Election Assistance Commission, or EAC, was established in 2002 to improve the administration of elections and help Americans participate in the voting process. They work to protect the nation’s election equipment, support election officials, provide timely and truthful information to American voters, and ultimately make elections safe, secure, accurate, and accessible.

Together, these commissions ensure that YOU can vote confidently, safely, and without fear, and that the information you receive about your candidates, your rights, and the voting process is truthful, accurate, and free from corruption.

Want to learn more about the FEC and EAC? Take a deeper dive in part 2 of our video, featuring WE’s Associate Director of Coalitions, Starr De Los Santos.

The Threat

The president has issued an executive order that would allow him to exert more control over several independent federal agencies, including the FEC and the EAC.

Both the Federal Election Commission and the Election Assistance Commission were intentionally designed by Congress to be independent and nonpartisan. That independence is to ensure that they are not influenced by the president or other elected officials, in order to keep elections fair, free from corruption, and ensure the results reflect the will of the American people.

So, what’s at risk?

If the president is allowed to influence the work and the decisions of the Federal Election Commission and the Election Assistance Commission, it damages the very bedrock of our democracy — the vote. It will give the president the control over our entire election system. And it dovetails with Congress considering the SAVE Act. Both the executive order and the SAVE Act are based on false and repeatedly disproven claims about voting and elections, and will discourage or outright prevent significant numbers of Americans from voting.

What can YOU do to make an impact?

Have less than 5 minutes?

• Share this post with your community, and make sure they know about the important work of the Federal Election Commission and the Election Assistance Commission. Just hit the share button at the top of the article!

Have 5–10 minutes?

• Take Action on the SAVE Act. Demand our legislators protect the rights of ALL Americans to vote.
• Call your federal legislators. Demand they do everything they can to protect the independence of the Federal Election Commission, the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, and other independent agencies that are at risk.
• Don’t know who your officials are, or how to reach them? Here’s a great tool for finding your U.S. Senators and Representative! (And here’s a hot tip: program your legislators’ numbers into your phone to make it even easier to call them! And an even hotter tip: program their local district numbers AND their DC or Springfield numbers as well so that they can hear from you no matter where they are!)
• Sign up for Women Employed’s Action Network. We are constantly monitoring the landscape to help cut through the rhetoric. We’ll email you with concrete actions that will make a difference and we’ll also send new issues of For the Common Good to keep you informed.
• Make a gift to Women Employed to support this work.

Have a half hour?

• Subscribe to our For the Common Good series here on Medium, and visit the landing page on our website.
• While you’re on Medium, read through Women Employed’s recent posts to learn more about the issues.
• Know your local, state, and federal workplace rights―and make sure people in your community do too. And if you’re an immigrant worker, check out your workplace rights as well, courtesy of our partners at Arise Chicago, in English and in Spanish.
• Protect and care for yourself. Our friends at Supermajority have resources to help.

Have 1–2 hours a month?

• Join our Advocacy Council and attend our monthly meetings.

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For the Common Good is a series where Women Employed breaks down the administration’s actions, as well as important issues that impact working women and their families — including the roles and the work of key federal agencies, departments, and programs — and what you can do to make an impact.