Philadelphia City Commissioner Al Schmidt stands outside the Pennsylvania Convention Centre on Nov. 6, 2020, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Lynsey Addario/Getty Images)
A series tracking the growing assault on voting rights, and efforts to undermine the democratic process in America.
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Well, I have the advantage of leaving, knowing that our mayor appoints my replacement. And whoever he appoints to replace me will not be someone who the former president or his disciples like. That's what I know for sure. You're not alone. We've all read the reports of thousands of election workers across the country leaving their posts, in some cases after threats and intimidation. It seems to be a flashing danger sign.I think it is. My educational background includes a Ph.D. in political history, mainly focused in 20th century European history. And you can see how democracies have the ability, once a non-democratic majority takes power, to essentially dismantle themselves. We have to do everything we can to prevent it from self-destructing, because democracies have within themselves the mechanism for their own self-destruction. Meanwhile, Republicans in Pennsylvania are back at it. They've got an audit-like effort underway. So what’s happened on your end?
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Check out this thread from NYU media critic Jay Rosen, who’s been warning for years about Trumpism’s depredations on journalism but also noticed a small but critical shift this week.
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—Trump allies work to place supporters in key election posts, spurring fears about future vote challengesLook for more coverage of who’s being held accountable for intimidating election workers soon on VICE News Tonight. And send your friends the Breaking the Vote newsletter!