Carter Center, pushing for fair elections, turns focus to US
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Carter Center, an organization founded by former President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, has worked for decades to ensure fair elections in Africa, Latin America and Asia.
It's now turning its focus to the United States.
The Atlanta-based center said Friday that it has launched an initiative meant to strengthen and build confidence in the U.S. election system. It has observed over 110 elections in 39 countries since 1989 but now feels compelled to take on the problems at home, it says.
The center notes that while the U.S. has fallen short of some international election standards before, it's only in the last decade that the center would describe the country's democracy as “backsliding.”
Countries that are at risk of “backsliding” are “often characterized by polarization, a lack of public trust, ethnic or racial divisions and injustice, and fears that election results won’t be seen as credible or could trigger violence," the Carter Center said in a statement.
“Given the scale of problems today – including deep polarization, lack of confidence in elections, obstacles to participation by minority groups and others, persistent racial injustice, and the COVID-19 pandemic – the Center has decided that it should try to improve elections here at home, drawing on its global experience observing troubled elections and its knowledge of international standards,” said Carter Center CEO Paige Alexander.
The Carter Center says its efforts will focus on two main initiatives: providing information to the public on key election issues and ensuring transparency in the election process through independent observers.
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