The Big Lie, Big Tech & the Battle to Protect Voting Rights

How do we fight for democracy and voting rights in the face of these forces today, and concretely what is Democrats Abroad doing? An informative panel and interactive discussion, hosted by the Voting Rights and Democracy group of DA United Kingdom Policy Network, featuring distinguished experts on disinformation (Magda Walter); big tech, digital security (Kyle Taylor); and voting rights (Midge Purcell), to examine voter fraud disinformation campaigns, the lead up to the Jan 6 Capitol siege and voter suppression laws being introduced at the state level (see speaker bios below). The second part of the event offers a comprehensive exploration of how to seize the moment to make positive change in the fight for our democracy and bringing together key DA and DAUK leaders. Participants include: Julia Bryan, DA Global Chair; Heidi Burch, Global GOTV co-chair; Karen Suhaka, Chair of the DAUK West Midlands regional group and founder of BillTrack50; Martha McDevitt-Pugh, a member of the DNC LGBT and Women’s Caucuses and DA Voter Protection; and Maya Buchanan, Chair of DA Voter Protection and Chair of the Voting Rights and Democracy group of the DAUK Policy Network. For more information about the DAUK policy network contact: [email protected] For More information about Democrats Abroad voting work see here: https://www.democratsabroad.org/voting To join DA and participate in our work to enfranchise all voters go to: https://www.democratsabroad.org/join Speaker Biographies: Magda Walter Magda Walter, is a former senior broadcast journalist for US TV networks PBS, CNN, CNBC and NBC News in Moscow (where she was bureau chief). She is an international communications strategist, media consultant and journalism trainer. She has led and edited several large research studies into the impact of Russian disinformation on countries of the former USSR with recommendations for policy change aimed at strengthening independent media in the region. In this area, she has collaborated with the European Endowment for Democracy in Brussels, Center for European Policy Analysis in Washington and the Baltic Centre for Media Excellence in Riga and spoken on panels at several international conferences. Kyle Taylor Founder and Director of Fair Vote UK, which published whistleblower evidence of Vote Leave’s lawbreaking in the EU referendum and supported Chris Wylie’s whistleblower revelations around Cambridge Analytica’s global data theft and misappropriation. Fair Vote UK now campaigns on digital democracy reform and platform regulation in the UK and internationally. He is also the lead claimant in a class action lawsuit against Facebook and acts as Secretariat to a parliamentary inquiry into foreign money and electoral transparency. Kyle was the Chief of Staff to a UK government minister and has worked on half a dozen elections, including the 2016 US Presidential Campaign and the 2020 US Georgia Senate Runoff. His first book on the subject - The Little Black Book of Data and Democracy - is published next week. Midge Purcell Midge Purcell is former Director of Advocacy and Public Policy at the Urban League in Portland, and a founding member of Oregon Voice, organising to increase voter engagement and political power in communities of color. Midge has worked with Common Cause to ensure fair redistricting outcomes for black communities and as a grassroots lobbyist in the Oregon legislature. She is a DAUK Black Caucus and a DAUK Policy Network member. *ABOUT DEMOCRATS ABROAD* Democrats Abroad is the official arm of the Democratic Party for the millions of Americans living outside the United States. We strive to provide Americans abroad a Democratic voice in our government and elect Democratic candidates by mobilizing the overseas vote. Democrats Abroad has 48 country committees throughout Europe, the Americas, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. These country committees keep Americans abroad informed of their rights and help them participate in the U.S. political process. Our members live in more than 190 countries around the globe and vote in every state and Congressional district in the U.S. Democrats Abroad is recognized as a "state" party by the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and is represented on the DNC by eight voting members, as well as at the quadrennial Democratic National Convention. Our online voter registration tool - http://www.votefromabroad.org - makes it easy to request a ballot and vote absentee from any place on the planet. *JOIN DEMOCRATS ABROAD* Want to make your voice heard? If you haven't yet, join Democrats Abroad! Then sign up to volunteer and phone bank to help Americans abroad exercise their right to vote this year! Visit https://www.democratsabroad.org to join for free today. Questions or ideas? We'd love to hear from you. We're all stronger together. #VoteFromAbroad #DemocratsAbroad #VoteFromAbroad.org #Democrats #Elections #JoeBiden #2020Elections #Politics