Six Twitter users to follow for all things democracy

This election cycle news about money in politics, election fiascos and voting rights is breaking at the speed of, well, Twitter. If you want to stay up-to-date, we’ve got your back.

This election cycle news about money in politics, election fiascos and voting rights is breaking at the speed of, well, Twitter. If you want to stay up-to-date, we’ve got your back.

Here’s our first tip: the best to Twitter users to follow on money in politics and election reforms aren’t necessarily who you’d expect. They’re environmental activists, election administrators, journalists and ice cream makers. That’s because putting our democracy back in the hands of regular voters isn’t a niche issue — it’s an all of us issue.

If you want breaking updates on the election issues you care about, here are six Twitter users to follow. They’re witty, they’re passionate, and most of all, their Twitter game is strong.

Ari Berman, senior contributing writer for The Nation magazine

If you want to be in the know about the state of our elections, follow Ari. He’s an expert on money in politics, election modernizations, and voting rights who appears regularly on MSNBC and NPR to provide analysis. He’s also published his own book, Give Us the Ballot: The Modern Struggle for Voting Rights in America, which details the counterrevolution to limit voting rights after the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. His Twitter dishes out a mix of impartial, objective information and his real passion for voting rights. His tweets unapologetically point out voting rights failures, celebrate victories for democracy, and call leaders out on their wrongdoings.  

 

Cornell Brooks—president and CEO of the NAACP

Cornell Brooks has an unmatched passion for universal voting rights, cutting insight on issues of inequality and injustice, and a witty sense of humor. His fight for voting rights and a host of other civil rights issues has led him to rallies, marches, conferences and everywhere in between. The best part? He narrates the whole journey via Twitter. Throw him a follow for up-to-date information and stances on all things democracy.

 

David Orr, Illinois Cook County Clerk

For a first-hand account of election news, follow the clerk of the third largest election district in the U.S. Orr handles voter registration failures, mishaps, and malfunctions. Because of his devotion to representative government, Orr supports automatic voter registration, a bipartisan solution to low voter registration rates. Orr has played an important role in bringing AVR to the governor’s desk in Illinois, and his tweets are the best method of staying updated on AVR’s most recent success story. 

 

 

 

Annie Leonard, executive director of Greenpeace

Annie Leonard is an advocate of everyday Americans in more ways than one. A quick scroll through her Twitter page reveals content surrounding everything from LGBT rights to pollution. Her strong support for voting rights intersects all of these issues because she sees expanding democracy as the pathway to solving the many causes she is passionate about. If you’re looking for solutions, Leonard is the one to follow. 

 

 

 

Ben & Jerry’s

Ice cream chain first, Twitter champ second; Ben & Jerry do way more than just sell frozen treats. In May, they created a flavor called Empower Mint to promote elections that are “more by the people and less buy the people.” On Twitter, they inform their consumers about small donor empowerment, voting rights, and more. Isn’t democracy delicious?

 

 

 

Linda Hallman, chief executive officer of American Association of University Women

Linda Hallman doesn’t hold back. Count on her to tell it like it is and keep you updated on the role of women in democracy. With 25 years of women’s rights experience under her belt, there’s no one better to follow than Hallman if you’re looking to learn about the intersection of civil rights and election reform.