President Jimmy Carter died at 100. He was a moral, decent man, committed to the cause of justice. One of his passions was for democracy. His work with the Carter Center helped to ensure fair elections around the world.
He was involved in two commissions in the United States to improve American elections following the disputed 2000 elections that revealed serious flaws with American election administration, the Carter-Ford Commission after 2000 and the Carter-Baker commission after 2004. I had the privilege to testify before the Carter-Baker commission.

The Carter-Baker Commission report had many sound recommendations for reforms; its endorsement of voter identification laws proved controversial, and my friend Spencer Overton and others dissented in part from the recommendations (see page 89 of the report). The recommendation itself only supported voter id if if could be done in ways that did not overly burden voters and was coupled with efforts to get voters registered, a sensible basis for some bipartisan compromise.
After the attempted election subversion of the 2000 election, President Carter wrote an essay in the New York Times, I Fear for Our Democracy. His steps forward also seemed quite sensible:
First, while citizens can disagree on policies, people of all political stripes must agree on fundamental constitutional principles and norms of fairness, civility and respect for the rule of law. Citizens should be able to participate easily in transparent, safe and secure electoral processes. Claims of election irregularities should be submitted in good faith for adjudication by the courts, with all participants agreeing to accept the findings. And the election process should be conducted peacefully, free of intimidation and violence.
Second, we must push for reforms that ensure the security and accessibility of our elections and ensure public confidence in the accuracy of results. Phony claims of illegal voting and pointless multiple audits only detract from democratic ideals.
Third, we must resist the polarization that is reshaping our identities around politics. We must focus on a few core truths: that we are all human, we are all Americans and we have common hopes for our communities and our country to thrive. We must find ways to re-engage across the divide, respectfully and constructively, by holding civil conversations with family, friends and co-workers and standing up collectively to the forces dividing us.
Fourth, violence has no place in our politics, and we must act urgently to pass or strengthen laws to reverse the trends of character assassination, intimidation and the presence of armed militias at events. We must protect our election officials — who are trusted friends and neighbors of many of us — from threats to their safety. Law enforcement must have the power to address these issues and engage in a national effort to come to terms with the past and present of racial injustice.
Lastly, the spread of disinformation, especially on social media, must be addressed. We must reform these platforms and get in the habit of seeking out accurate information. Corporate America and religious communities should encourage respect for democratic norms, participation in elections and efforts to counter disinformation.
He was a wise man with a great love for the United States and for the people of the world, committed to democracy and fair voting. Condolences to his family and friends.