With Pennsylvania a crucial state in this year's presidential election, political scholars gathered in Philadelphia last night to share their insights into the fragility of democracy and the increasing authoritarian challenges.

Harvard University Government Professor Daniel Ziblatt said he believes rising polarization is causing people to view political opponents as enemies, and is fueled by economic stagnation and inequality.

He added that there are other factors behind the emerging global threats to democracy.

"For example, social media, the new rise of new technologies," said Ziblatt, "makes it harder and harder for people to kind of figure out what's true, what isn't true, the rise of misinformation."

Ziblatt said immigration-driven diversity is another factor, and has significantly reshaped Western Europe and the United States.

He said it has sparked a backlash, creating an environment that demagogues can exploit to undermine democracy. Conservative critics of immigration say they fear the impact on the nation's culture and fear vote fraud.

Harvard University Government Professor Steven Levitsky highlighted the ongoing threat to global democracy posed by historical patterns - like extreme polarization and authoritarianism.

While 20th-century authoritarian takeovers often involved military coups, he said today's democratic backsliding is more insidious, relying on tactics like undermining democratic institutions and electoral manipulation.

"Today in the 21st century, is for democracy to die a much slower, more gradual death, often at the hands of elected leaders themselves," said Levitsky. "Elected presidents and elected Prime Ministers who use the very institutions of democracy to subvert it. This is Hugo Chavez in Venezuela. It's Viktor Orban in Hungary, Erdogan in Turkey."

Ziblatt and Levitsky said these threats have risen during former President Donald Trump's political ascent. Both have written books on democratic decay in the U.S. and have proposed various solutions.

A series of events on the topic will take place in battleground states. The group democracyFIRST is highlighting the questions.

Florida is expecting a high voter turnout for next week's election and election officials are working urgently to make it happen, addressing the challenges created by Hurricanes Helene and Milton.

Election supervisors are making last-minute adjustments to ensure safe and accessible polling options, after the storms damaged critical infrastructure across several counties.

Sandra Pavelka, professor of political science and public administration at Florida Gulf Coast University, said the storms added "tremendous challenges" to election preparations, particularly in the hardest-hit areas.

"Florida and the Southeast have experienced two major hurricanes right before the election, within two weeks of each other," Pavelka noted. "It's not only affecting the voter administrators but also the volunteers, the poll workers and the voters themselves."

In response to the damage, the Florida Supervisors of Elections Association collaborated with Gov. Ron DeSantis's office to implement emergency measures. DeSantis signed an executive order allowing adjustments to polling places, drop boxes, and vote-by-mail procedures in 20 counties significantly affected by the storms.

Dave Ramba, executive director of the Florida Supervisors of Elections Association, said emergency provisions have allowed them to adjust as necessary in areas where polling locations have been severely affected, like in St. Petersburg, where some polling sites are under sand.

"They've been wiped off the face of the coast of Florida, so clearly, we're not going to have that as a polling place," Ramba observed. "So, we worked for the governor's office, on individual counties, both on relocating some polling places inside the deadline that currently exists in law. But also allowing for some extension of time for early voting."

Pavelka urged Floridians to verify their polling locations and understand the voting options available, and stressed there is much more on the ballot than the presidential race. It also includes proposals to legalize marijuana use and reverse the state's newly enacted six-week abortion bank.

"Obviously, the natural disaster and these hurricanes we faced present a challenge, probably a greater challenge than we realize," Pavelka emphasized. "It's still important, going into the election and going into the vote, to do your research."

Ramba said he frequently travels and prefers to vote by mail, which offers convenience as well as a confirmation when his vote is counted. He stressed the importance of planning, just in case, for disrupted polling site access.

"Early voting is open across the state now," Ramba added. "If you're excited about it and you know you're going to vote, just go out and vote sometime in the next week and a half. If you wait 'til Election Day and there's a car accident or there's a holdup, or a protest or a thunderstorm, you know, it may impair your ability to vote."

Many voters in New Mexico are wondering why former President Donald Trump plans tomorrow's visit to a state where polls showed a firm Democratic lead.

It is only Trump's second visit to the state since 2019 when he departed with an unpaid bill for an Albuquerque event exceeding $200,000.

David Becker, founder and executive director of the Center for Election Innovation and Research, said he has no idea why Trump plans to visit Albuquerque again. But he noted some candidates act like they're going to win, while others act like they might be losing.

"When, as is highly likely, Donald Trump declares victory on Tuesday night, listen carefully to what he said, when he said it, how he said it," Becker cautioned. "Because if he claims there's widespread fraud and talks about noncitizen voting, it's likely he thinks he's losing."

A poll this week by the Albuquerque Journal showed Vice President Kamala Harris has a significant advantage over Trump in the state. Roughly 50% of registered voters told the newspaper they planned to vote or have already voted for Harris, while 41% said they were voting for Trump. Information on how to cast a ballot is online at Vote411.org.

Becker called the recent firebombing of ballot drop boxes in Washington and Oregon horrific and not something we're used to seeing in the U.S. He has advice for those who have not returned their mail ballots.

"I would advise, at this point, anyone who's holding on to a mail ballot that intends to cast their mail ballot should return it directly to election officials," Becker urged. "Either through a drop box, or directly at an election office or at a polling place. I would advise not to put it in the U.S. mail."

Law enforcement officials said hundreds of ballots may have been destroyed in Washington, while a fire suppressant protected most of the ballots in Portland, Oregon. New Mexico was one of several states in 2020 where Republican electors attempted to cast ballots indicating Donald Trump had won, a scheme that eventually resulted in criminal charges against Trump and his associates.

Support for this reporting was provided by The Carnegie Corporation of New York.


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With the election just a week away, advocates for fair elections in Montana met recently as part of a coalition to highlight efforts to protect voting rights at the state and federal levels.

While the group said there has been progress, challenges remain. The event highlighted recent victories in the ongoing struggles to educate voters and ensure transparency at the ballot box.

Walter Schweitzer, president of the Montana Farmer's Union, said no matter a voter's political stripe, it is important for people to vote but also to advocate for fair and open elections.

"This is about showing up for the future of our state," Schweitzer asserted. "Encourage your neighbors, family and friends to stay engaged. Don't just vote. Keep pushing for transparency and fairness in our elections. Montana depends on all of us."

Advocates cited a Montana Supreme Court decision striking down laws which would have made remote ballot collection more difficult, for example, which is especially important on Montana's seven tribal reservations.

Tribal advocacy groups have been working to help register Montana's Indigenous population to vote and collect their ballots when transportation is a problem for people on tribal lands. Schweitzer argued efforts aimed at limiting remote ballot collection damage the state and nation's democratic process and exactly the wrong direction for Montana to go.

"In recent years, we've seen attempts to erode trust in our democratic institutions," Schweitzer observed. "It's not just happening far away. It's happening here at home. Efforts to make it harder for Montanans to vote are a direct challenge to our values."

The election is a week from today, although mail in balloting is already underway in Montana and other states.


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