The worsening political polarization in America is creating deep anxiety among voters about the upcoming 2024 elections. Many Americans fear what disputed elections could mean for our democracy.

A handful of battleground states will decide the immediate future of the nation, with close races and court challenges predicted for the presidency, Congress and other key posts. This scenario of a close and contested elections can challenge any democracy, but given our bitterly divided country, this is a potentially explosive situation.

However, close and contested elections are a part of American history, and all states have processes in place to handle just such situations. It is critical that citizens understand how these systems work so that they trust the results. Trusted elections are the foundation of our democracy.

That’s why Election Reformers Network and the Bridge Alliance have come together to create the Election Overtime Project to help reporters, journalists, TV anchors and others prepare America to understand and not fear close elections.

Focusing on six battleground states, the program will include state-specific policy briefs on election law, media training, and a speaker’s bureau of trusted commentators to support election night coverage and beyond. Program content will provide in-depth information on the safeguards and transparency across the election phases, the recounts, audits, and other procedures used to check results, and the principles that govern how courts judge election challenges. Program organizers will work closely with state election offices and state law experts to ensure precision in all materials.

“An election can only be ‘proven flawed’ if there is evidence tested in court affecting more votes than the margin of victory,” said Kevin Johnson, Executive Director of the Election Reformers Network. “But that’s not intuitive to most voters, and it’s the kind of information election reporters need to be conveying to citizens.”

The program is predicated on the notion that factual information is a powerful tool to prevent unrest and distrust. Editors sometimes lean toward a demand for attention-grabbing election headlines when voters need careful attention to rules and laws instead.

“Faith and trust in our elections is essential for the well-being of our democratic republic. For this reason, it is critical that journalists in today’s contentious and partisan political climate cover the intricacies of election law and procedures, so Americans accept the results whether their candidate wins or loses.”