Conservative Principles for Building Trust in Elections

What It Is: A set of conservative-specific principles for building election trust, developed by Johns Hopkins' SNF Agora Institute and the R Street Institute through a year of off-the-record convenings with Republican elected officials, election administrators, and scholars across four states, released alongside original Gallup-Johns Hopkins polling on conservative confidence in U.S. elections. 

Why It Matters: Reflects a thoughtful consensus among knowledgeable conservative leaders on how to address the 40% of Republicans say they're very or somewhat confident in the accuracy of U.S. elections, down from nearly 90% in 2006.   Outlines three commonsense principles that can help leaders speak to voters with concerns: 1) Publicly affirming the security and integrity of elections across the U.S. and avoiding fueling doubt about elections in other jurisdictions 2) Using transparency and public outreach to reassure voters of election integrity. 3) Championing policy changes that can help build trust in the elections system.  

How to Use It: Consider referencing the principles to demonstrate actions to address voter concerns and using them to guide information provided to employees. Read the full statement of principles for language and specifics to adapt.