Kathy Boockvar, President of Athena Strategies LLC, recently co-wrote an article with Matt Crane, an Election Administration & Policy Strategist, CISA Consultant and Former County Clerk, for the Institute for Responsive Government.
Drawing on decades of experience administering elections from opposite sides of the aisle, they reflect on how the challenges facing U.S. elections have escalated dramatically over the past five years. Political polarization and false narratives have accelerated into hostility, contributing to increased threats and attacks on the foundations of the electoral system.
Looking ahead to the nation’s Semiquincentennial, Boockvar and Crane emphasize the importance of understanding both how the country arrived at this moment and what it will take to move forward. The election security defenses built between 2017 and 2024 did not happen by accident. They were the result of bipartisan resolve, federal investment, and the work of thousands of election officials operating under extraordinary pressure. That progress, however, has been weakened by cuts to key election security resources and services, even as foreign and domestic adversaries deploy more sophisticated tools and amplify false narratives.
Despite these setbacks, Boockvar and Crane remain committed and optimistic. The resilience built over the last decade provides a foundation to rebuild. While securing infrastructure and networks remains critical, they argue that sustaining democracy also requires reinforcing shared norms. Every attack on the electoral process and every act of political violence heightens the threat to national security and to every citizen’s right to vote.
As the nation approaches its 250th year, they frame the moment as a choice: Allow distrust and division to define the future, or recommit to the fundamental promise that citizens choose their leaders through free, fair, and secure elections and accept the results when the counting is done. The blueprint already exists, modeled daily by election officials across the country. If chosen collectively, it offers a path to restoring election security, trust, and a stronger democracy for the next generation.
You can read the full article here: https://responsivegov.org/research/bridging-divides-recultivating-election-security-and-trust/