The Candidate Principles for Trusted Elections is a cross-partisan national program helping to restore voters’ confidence in our democratic republic. It is led by a national steering committee:
Steering Committee Co-Chairs
Jason Carter
Carter Center Board of Trustees, Chair
Private Attorney
Mike Ford
Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation Board of Trustees, Member
Retired Wake Forest University Administrator
Steering Committee Members
Danielle Allen
Harvard University Professor of Political Philosophy, Public Policy, and Ethics
Founder and President of Partners in Democracy.
Sam Donaldson
Retired ABC News Anchor and Reporter
Former White House Correspondent.
Michael Hayden
Retired Air Force four-star general
Former Director of the National Security Agency
Former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
Margaret Hoover
Conservative Political commentator
Political Strategist
Media Personality
Author
Nick Troiano
Founding Executive Director of Unite America,
Author
The Candidate Principles is supported by over 70 organizations across the nation. In 2023, the program merged with the Safe and Secure Elections Pledge, a program of the nonpartisan Team Democracy. The two programs share the goal of securing commitments from candidates to conduct their campaigns ethically and in the spirt of a peaceful transfer of power. The two programs now operate jointly under the Candidate Principles. Together they have secured the support of over 3,000 candidates, public officials, and voters in all 50 states.
Spread the Word
Lend your voice to the Candidate Principles. Speak out on behalf of fair, safe, and secure elections and share your support for the Candidate Principles with your family and social network. Together, we can help restore public trust in our democratic process.