Reimagining Voting in DC Through An Equity Lens

By Erika Harrell In the District of Columbia, we collectively rail against the disenfranchisement of DC residents in the Congress, and rightfully so. We do not have a right to vote on federal laws, yet we are governed by those laws and taxed to pay for them. Politics based on specious constitutional arguments have largely

New York Voters Need to be Educated on Ranked Choice Voting to Ensure Their Ballot Counts This Election

By Katherine Otilia Zapata, National Research Manager The 2021 NYC primary elections are rapidly approaching—and as an increasing number of individuals file for candidacy each day, it is on track to be the largest municipal race that not only this city, but this country has seen. But there is another factor that makes this election

Swearing in History: A Moment for A Movement

By Mike Bland National Director, Leaders of Color After four exhausting years of clawing our way toward the surface of decency—just to even get by—the time has finally come to install, as the crux of our national identity, the integrity that this country has continued to misplace. The inauguration of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris as

Joy Comes in the Morning

By Shavar Jeffries ‘Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.’ A fitting verse when I think of this week—a week where hope and possibility overshadowed the darkness. Over the past few days, we’ve witnessed diverse and historic candidates appointed to some of the highest offices in this nation—including leaders with demonstrated records of

When We all Vote, We all Win

We’re only four days into the new year, yet tomorrow will be one of the most important days of 2021. With control of the U.S. Senate hinging on the Georgia special election, the results of these two races will determine whether President-elect Biden can enact the progress agenda our nation so desperately needs—with public education,

DFER Highlights: 2020 in Review

This year was unprecedented, for so many reasons. From the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, to a historic election, we’re rounding up ten of our top highlights from 2020—including partner organization Education Reform Now Advocacy’s 52 general election wins and sponsorship of the 10th Democratic Presidential Debate; and affiliate organization Education Reform Now’s 100-Day policy

DFER Election Day Results

As many of us expected, the results from Tuesday’s Election are not quite final yet—with the last of the mail-in ballots still waiting to be counted—but as of this writing, Vice President Biden has pulled ahead in crucial states. While Trump and his team may try to undermine the process and invalidate results, it is

Latest Polling Finds: What Matters Most to Swing State Voters

Recently our partner organization Education Reform Now Advocacy (ERNA) teamed up with HIT Strategies and Latino Decisions to conduct polling in North Carolina, Georgia, Wisconsin and Arizona. Findings showed, in all of these key swing states, Biden is maintaining a small but very real lead. Our polling also found that accountability and high quality public choice continue to be popular with voters, and

The Implications of Voter Suppression in New York City During a Pandemic

By Katherine Otilia Zapata Let’s be frank, New York City has absolutely faced a multitude of adversities throughout the coronavirus pandemic; but its recent string of voting-related issues cannot simply be wiped away using COVID-19 as an excuse. Because when we analyze the complications—such as the tardiness of late absentee ballot deliveries due to mismanagement

DFER Statement on COVID-19 & Education in the First Presidential Debate

Democrats for Education Reform President Shavar Jeffries released the following statement regarding the COVID-19 discussion in tonight’s Presidential Debate: “Tonight’s debate will raise many vital, and deeply concerning issues for Americans, including the devastating and widespread impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our country. One of the longstanding effects of this pandemic will be the