Out Of The Ashes Of Government Censorship Rises A Swing-State Election Protection Project
In 2020, the Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF), along with writers at The Federalist, faced censorship and suppression on social media. Their posts were flagged by a government-nonprofit-industry taskforce that claimed to combat election “misinformation” from foreign powers. However, this effort primarily targeted conservatives, rarely addressing the left or hostile powers like Russia and China. Even the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency and Stanford Internet Observatory’s Election Integrity Project asked Twitter to remove a tweet by President Donald Trump.
In my own case, my government supported a system that targeted my policy paper on the weaknesses of mail-in balloting. TPPF shared my paper on Facebook and Twitter, highlighting the vulnerabilities of voting by mail. However, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) flagged our post and my paper to the Election Integrity Project, claiming it contained false or misleading information. This assertion was made by an analyst with no real-world experience or expertise in election administration.
Using the government to silence discussions on voting processes and safeguards raises concerns about the honesty of our elections. However, the public’s support for free and fair elections remains strong. This has allowed TPPF to expand its efforts through the Election Protection Project, focusing on upholding election integrity in key urban counties and swing states.
Election Protection Project
The Election Protection Project aims to verify voter identity, confirm eligibility, and securely collect and count votes. By promoting these principles, the project envisions an electoral system that operates with precision and reliability, earning the confidence of the electorate.
Flaws in the System
The 2020 elections exposed critical flaws in election administration, leading to confusion and eroded trust. Our project’s mission is to identify and promote best practices that ensure the integrity and security of the voting process, addressing systemic issues and vulnerabilities within the election bureaucracy.
Instilling Trust
The Election Protection Project conducts in-depth research on county and state election practices, aiming to establish uniform standards of electoral administration. By monitoring election procedures and advocating for best practices, the project seeks to instill trust among voters and uphold the sanctity of each vote.
TPPF’s Election Protection Project transcends partisan lines, focusing on the bedrock principle of election integrity. Its mission is to reinforce the foundations of democratic engagement through the electoral process, ensuring that issues of electoral integrity are addressed and the democratic process remains robust and respected.
However, it remains to be seen if the Biden administration and Silicon Valley will allow legitimate concerns over election administration to be discussed in the public square.
rnrn
How do the actions taken by the government-nonprofit-industry taskforce to combat election “misinformation” undermine the principles of free speech and fair representation?
Which aims to promote transparency and accountability in the electoral process.
The targeted censorship faced by TPPF and writers at The Federalist is not an isolated incident. It is part of a larger trend of silencing conservative voices on social media platforms. This raises questions about the fairness and impartiality of these platforms in allowing open discourse and freedom of expression.
The actions taken by the government-nonprofit-industry taskforce to combat election “misinformation” seem to be heavily biased against conservative viewpoints. By selectively flagging and suppressing posts from conservative voices, they undermine the principles of free speech and fair representation in the public sphere.
The fact that even the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency and Stanford Internet Observatory’s Election Integrity Project joined in the efforts to remove a tweet by President Donald Trump raises further concerns. It suggests a potential misuse of power and influence to control the narrative and suppress dissenting opinions.
In my own experience, the censorship targeted my policy paper on the weaknesses of mail-in balloting. TPPF shared this paper on social media platforms to foster a discussion on the vulnerabilities of voting by mail. However, the Democratic National Committee flagged our post and my paper as containing false or misleading information. It is alarming that such decisions were made by an analyst with no real-world experience or expertise in election administration.
This incident highlights the dangers of allowing the government and partisan organizations to dictate what information is acceptable in public discourse. It undermines the principles of free expression and hampers the ability to have an open and informed debate on important issues.
The public’s support for free and fair elections remains strong, as evidenced by the expansion of TPPF’s efforts through the Election Protection Project. Organizations like TPPF play a crucial role in promoting transparency and ensuring the integrity of our electoral process.
It is imperative that we uphold the principles of free speech, open dialogue, and fair representation in the digital age. Government and industry taskforces should not be used as tools for ideological censorship or silencing dissenting voices. Instead, these platforms and organizations should foster an environment that encourages diverse perspectives and robust discussions.
In conclusion, the targeted censorship faced by the Texas Public Policy Foundation and writers at The Federalist highlights a concerning trend of suppressing conservative voices on social media platforms. It raises doubts about the fairness and impartiality of these platforms in facilitating open discourse and freedom of expression. Upholding the principles of free speech and fair representation is essential to safeguarding the integrity of our elections and promoting a healthy democratic society.
" Conservative News Daily does not always share or support the views and opinions expressed here; they are just those of the writer."
