Democracy Docket

{{Short description|Media outlet covering American elections}}

{{Infobox organization

| name = Democracy Docket

| image = Democracy Docket Logo.png

| image_size = 200px

| founded = 2020

| leader_title = Founder

| leader_name = Marc Elias

| location_city = Washington, D.C.

| headquarters =

| location_country = U.S.

| website = {{Official website}}

}}

Democracy Docket is a voting rights and media platform that tracks election litigation. It has been described as liberal-leaning{{Cite web |last=Sneed |first=Tierney |last2=Schouten |first2=Fredreka |date=2022-11-07 |title=Avalanche of early lawsuits could pave way for disputes over Tuesday's election results |url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/07/politics/election-lawsuits-midterms-challenges/index.html |access-date=2023-05-03 |website=CNN |language=en}} and progressive.{{Cite news |last=Lerner |first=Kira |date=2023-01-09 |title=Republicans filed record number of anti-voting lawsuits in 2022 – report |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jan/09/republicans-anti-voting-lawsuits-2022 |access-date=2023-05-03 |issn=0261-3077}}{{Cite news |last=Rubin |first=Jennifer |date=March 5, 2023 |title=Opinion {{!}} Minnesota's vote to re-enfranchise felons is a victory for democracy |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/03/05/minnesota-voting-rights-felons-democracy/ |access-date=2023-05-03 |newspaper=Washington Post |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286}} It was founded in 2020 by Democratic Party lawyer Marc Elias and is published by Democracy Docket, LLC.

Elias launched Democracy Docket on March 5, 2020, with the stated goal of educating the public on voting rights and redistricting litigation.{{cite news |last1=Newblom |first1=Michelle |title='Democracy is literally on the ballot' and Marc Elias's Democracy Docket is fighting for your right to vote |url=https://www.lexblog.com/2020/08/18/democracy-is-literally-on-the-ballot-and-marc-elias-democracy-docket-provides-the-resources-to-ensure-your-right-to-vote/ |access-date=14 March 2021 |work=This Week in Legal Blogging |publisher=LexBlog |date=18 August 2020}}{{Cite web |last=Roe |first=Dan |date=2021-02-01 |title=Analysis: Perkins Coie's Marc Elias Became Every Democrat's Favorite Lawyer. Now He Wants to Reform Democracy Itself |url=https://www.law.com/americanlawyer/2021/02/01/perkins-coies-marc-elias-became-every-democrats-favorite-lawyer-now-he-wants-to-reform-democracy-itself/?slreturn=20210214120234 |website=Law.com}} In explaining why he founded the platform, Elias shared that "for years people would always ask me about the courts and democracy, but there was never one place for me to point them to specifically for reliable and up-to-date information about what's happening with voting, elections, and democracy in the courts. Of course, 2020 turned out to be a good year to start a pro-democracy news outlet, since the courts were so central, particularly in the post-election period, in preserving our democracy."

Elias was concerned that the Republican Party would have a newfound freedom in its efforts, as a court order prohibiting the party from past voter suppression tactics had expired.{{Cite web|last=Debenedetti|first=Gabriel|date=2020-06-22|title=Are We Headed for a Voter-Suppression Catastrophe in November?|url=https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2020/06/marc-elias-voter-suppression-elections-2020.html|url-status=live|access-date=2021-03-14|website=New York|language=en-us|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200622205109/https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2020/06/marc-elias-voter-suppression-elections-2020.html |archive-date=2020-06-22 }} Writing that, in one Republican leader's words, the Republican Party planned to sue Democrats "into oblivion and spend whatever is necessary", Elias envisioned Democracy Docket as a platform to raise awareness and support efforts to defend election rules and results from Republican lawsuits in what was anticipated to be a close presidential election.{{Cite web|last=Isenstadt|first=Alex|date=2020-05-07|title=Trump intensifies war with Democrats over voting laws|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/05/07/trump-democrats-voting-laws-243517|url-status=live|access-date=2021-03-14|website=Politico|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200508004005/https://www.politico.com/news/2020/05/07/trump-democrats-voting-laws-243517 |archive-date=2020-05-08 }}

Democracy Docket has advocated for making absentee voting more accessible, arguing that postage for mail-in ballots must be free or prepaid by the government, that ballots postmarked on or before election day must count, that signature matching laws should be reformed, and that community organizations should be permitted to help collect and deliver voted, sealed ballots.

Democracy Docket has written on legal efforts to restrict voting rights. This includes removal of ballot drop box lawsuits initiated by former Trump administration staff and advisors. Ballot drop boxes were popularized due to the 2019 global coronavirus pandemic and the associated minimizing of in-person polling place voting.{{Cite web |last=Orenstein |first=Robert H. |date=2022-09-12 |title=Group led by Stephen Miller, Mark Meadows sues Lehigh Co. over ballot drop-off boxes |url=https://www.penncapital-star.com/election-2022/group-led-by-stephen-miller-mark-meadows-sues-lehigh-co-over-ballot-drop-off-boxes/ |access-date=2023-02-06 |website=Pennsylvania Capital-Star |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Mordowanec |first=Nick |date=2023-02-03 |title=Trump Does Complete 180 on Election Issue |url=https://www.newsweek.com/trump-complete-180-election-issue-1778871 |access-date=2023-02-06 |website=Newsweek |language=en}} Democracy Docket has also reported about the numerous redistricting congressional district lawsuits filed in several states prior to the 2024 elections.{{Cite web |first=Daniela |last=Altimari |title=Redistricting lawsuits could shape the 2024 battle for House control |url=https://buffalonews.com/news/national/redistricting-lawsuits-could-shape-the-2024-battle-for-house-control/article_977bd038-8df2-53eb-b43c-c585f620b242.html |access-date=2023-02-06 |website=Buffalo News |date=5 February 2023 |language=en}}{{Cite web |first=Cami |last=Mondeaux |title=Republicans hold slight advantage in race for House control in first ratings for 2024 cycle |url=https://www.coloradopolitics.com/republicans-hold-slight-advantage-in-race-for-house-control-in-first-ratings-for-2024-cycle/article_a90fafa4-e0fc-53b6-9f18-22b7a7566498.html |access-date=2023-02-06 |website=Colorado Politics |language=en |archive-date=2023-02-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230206150137/https://www.coloradopolitics.com/republicans-hold-slight-advantage-in-race-for-house-control-in-first-ratings-for-2024-cycle/article_a90fafa4-e0fc-53b6-9f18-22b7a7566498.html |url-status=dead }}{{Cite web |date=2023-02-02 |title=Republicans hold slight advantage in race for House control in first ratings for 2024 cycle |url=https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaigns/republicans-slight-advantage-house-control-2024-ratings |access-date=2023-02-06 |website=Washington Examiner |language=en}}

{{as of|June 2024}}, Democracy Docket claimed more than 175,000 newsletter subscribers. Its podcast Defending Democracy has featured guests such as Hillary Clinton and Eric Holder, and recorded 2.3 million views.{{Cite web |last=Crowell |first=Maddy |date=June 10, 2024 |title=A Little to the Left |url=https://www.cjr.org/covering_the_election/democrats-left-new-partisan-media-entrepreneurs.php |access-date=2024-06-27 |website=Columbia Journalism Review |language=en}}