2026 Election Threats: Actions Companies Can Take – Part III
Richard Eidlin, (facilitator)
Richard Eidlin, Coordinator of the Business Response to Authoritarian Threats (BRTAT). Richard has worked at the intersection of sustainable business, public policy and corporate social responsibility for thirty-five+ years. Over that time, he has helped establish several influential organizations, including the American Sustainable Business Council, the International Council of Local Environmental Initiatives, Business for America and the United Nations Environmental Finance Initiative.
If we are to believe what we’re seeing on the news, and statements made by members of this administration, it is more important than ever that we stay vigilant in protecting the mechanisms of Democracy in this coming election. Despite Article 1, Section 4 of the U.S. Constitution conferring states with the authority to run elections, we’ve heard recent calls for the elections to be federalized and threats to “have ICE surround the polls come November.” State and local election officials are being threatened and criticized by the administration, including the Department of Justice, which has repeatedly asked state election officials to provide voter roll data.
Elections are the cornerstone of our republic. The business community plays a significant role in promoting a fair, free, and secure election in 2026. Elections preserve our democratic traditions, provide for a robust civic debate, and allow employees/voters to weigh in on critical issues. The relationship between a free election system, a dynamic economy, and a stable constitutional democracy is well understood. While the midterms are months away, it’s time for businesses and business organizations to begin understanding the threats and develop a plan for how they can support a free election.
Speaker details coming soon!