Thread by @JoshuaADouglas

Last night I had a strange -- yet all too normal -- exchange about voter fraud. Let me explain. (Thread) 1/

I was in line at the @KentuckyMBB game (that loss is another story!) when an older gentleman asked what I did for work and I explained that I'm a law professor specializing in voting rights and election law. His immediate reaction was "so you see how much voter fraud there is."2/

I asked what he meant. He said, "well, didn't you see a few years ago that kid in North Carolina who went on TV and said he voted 17 times?" I assured him that that couldn't be true and if it was, he would have been prosecuted. The man just shook his head. 3/

Then he said "and did you see that the Democrats want to let *anyone* vote with their new bill?" I responded, "well, they just want to make it easier for all *eligible* people to vote." He said "no, they just want anyone to vote." 4/

I again said this wasn't true and suggested he read the bill itself. Thus ended our exchange.

I've been thinking about this conversation ever since. This person was clearly educated and smart, yet he had fallen into the "voter fraud" trap. 5/

What can we do to reach people like him? I confess not to know the answer. Facts didn't seem to matter. He had his own version of the truth in his head, no doubt informed by what he hears from @senatemajldr and others (not to mention lies from @realDonaldTrump). 6/

He wasn't willing to listen to the actual facts from someone who has studied this area. So what can we do to convince the general public to embrace positive voting rights reforms and not lies about voter fraud? 7/

Although I don't have the magic answer, here are some thoughts:

First, though some may disagree, I think experts should stay as politically neutral as possible. We should embrace and promote policies that are good for the election system regardless of which side might benefit.8/

This is why I've stopped donating to candidates and generally try to stay nonpartisan in my public commentary. Of course, people will see my support of policies through a partisan lens, but the scholarship and commentary itself should stay politically neutral. 9/

This way my friend in line can't plausibly claim that my viewpoints are driven by partisanship. 10/

Second, we need to tell more stories of individuals impacted. Stories of everyday Americans can be so powerful. This also means that we need to encourage likeminded people to tell their own stories to spread the message. 11/

This person may not have believed me, a stranger, but maybe he will listen to a family member or friend who has felt the impact of voter suppression or, even better, seen the benefits of positive reforms that open up the system. That's why my book focuses on stories. 12/

Third, of course we need to continue calling out the lies about voter fraud with truthful statements. We can't let up in the effort to offer truthful information. We also must engage young people in this effort, who can be true change agents. 13/

Fourth, we should look for positive voting rights policies that cross the partisan divide. Felon re-enfranchisement and independent redistricting commissions generally have bipartisan support. Sure, there's still politics involved, but let's take wins where we can. 14/

This is a problem that doesn't have an easy solution. Election law policy is all too partisan. But to fix our system, we need people like this nice gentleman to understand the real facts and the power of making easy for every *eligible* person to vote. 15/

Let's let ideas, not election rules, dictate outcomes, with all eligible voters participating. Isn't that what democracy is supposed to be about? 16/

That, in turn, requires sustained advocacy. I still fundamentally believe we can change minds. Maybe it won't happen during a short exchange while standing in line, but that doesn't mean we should give up. A stronger democratic process *is* possible, but we must work for it. 17/

Finally, we must include *everyone* in that process. Ultimately, I still want to convince that person to look at facts and embrace expanded voting rights. Maybe it's naive, but I still think I can convince him. And I won't give up until I do. /end