In 2023, these organizations are supporting partisan efforts to limit mail-in voting, eliminate ballot drop boxes, ban ranked-choice voting, and to empower conspiracy-minded activists to challenge voters and election officials.
Mitchell's “Election Integrity Network” is playing a key convening role, connecting state activists with experts at national groups like Foundation for Government Accountability and Honest Elections Project. State activists are encouraged to connect with these national groups for model bill language, talking points and messaging, expert witnesses and testimony, and other outside support.
These are not the only organizations active in the “election integrity” space. For example, wealthy donors like Mike Lindell and Patrick Byrne have spent countless millions since 2020 backing fringe “election integrity” projects and organizations. Other groups, like True the Vote
and entities associated with lawyer Sidney Powell, have cashed in on election fraud lies, raising millions of dollars off of false promises to reveal widespread fraud or to overturn election results. These efforts have helped spread outlandish conspiracy theories and undermined faith in America’s voting system, but have done little to meaningfully change election laws or practices.
In contrast, the organizations profiled here—Conservative Partnership Institute, Foundation for Government Accountability, Heritage Action, and Honest Elections Project—have taken a more sophisticated approach. Rather than filing frivolous lawsuits or launching quixotic bids to ban voting machines, these four organizations are methodically directing MAGA activists and politicians to change the laws and policies governing our freedom to vote.
These four organizations have sought to harness the political energy generated by right-wing election conspiracies and direct it towards enacting policies that undermine the freedom to vote and that may help MAGA Republicans grab power.