Free and Equal Elections Foundation (also known as the Foundation for Free Campaigns and Elections) is an election-policy advocacy organization that is opposed to the two-party political system. The organization has hosted debates for minor-party presidential candidates in 2024, 2020, 2016, and 2012. ^{1 2}

The foundation is partnered with blockchain voting organization Follow My Vote, which seeks to develop technology to support early voting and support voters changing their early votes in the days leading up to election day. ³

Free and Equal Elections Foundation founder Christina Tobin was the national ballot access coordinator for left-of-center activist Ralph Nader’s 2008 independent presidential campaign. ^{4 5}

History and Leadership

Free and Equal Elections Foundation was founded by Christina Tobin in 2008. Tobin is also the founder of similarly named petitioning company Free and Equal Incorporated. ⁴

Tobin began her career in ballot access, signature defense, and petition drive coordination in 1998. In 2008, she was the national ballot access coordinator for Ralph Nader’s independent presidential campaign, where she coordinated the collection of more than 500,000 signatures across 46 different election jurisdictions. She has gathered signatures and defended signatures for candidates from the Constitution Party, Democratic Party, Green Party of the United States, Libertarian Party, Republican Party, and independent candidates throughout her career. ^{4 5}

Activities and Funding

The Free and Equal Elections Foundation (also known as the Foundation for Free Campaigns and Elections) is a voter information and registration organization based in Cambria, California. ^{6 7} The foundation works to transform the American electoral system at the national, state, and local level by hosting debates, hosting electoral reform symposiums, producing online videos and resources, and organizing United We Stand events to target younger voters. ⁴

Free and Equal Elections Foundation works closely with blockchain voting company Follow My Vote, which seeks to develop technology to track early voting, support early voting, and support changing your vote in the days leading up to the election day. ³ The foundation has created a blockchain election assistant application to support its vision of election systems and provide expanded candidate information to voters. ⁴

In July 2024, the organization co-sponsored some of the programming of Freedom Fest Las Vegas. It was the primary host of a presidential debate featuring minor-party candidates including 2024 Libertarian Party presidential nominee Chase Oliver and 2016 and 2024 Green Party presidential nominee Jill Stein, U.S. Representative Thomas Massie (R-KY), and others. ^{8 9 2}

Free and Equal Elections Foundation’s partners for the debate included the Green Party of the United States, Constitution Party, Transhumanist Party, New America, Accuracy in Media, We Vote, ranked-choice voting activist organization Rank the Vote, Next Election, Free the People, and others. ¹⁰

During the 2024 presidential election cycle, Free and Equal Elections Foundation also hosted alternative Democratic Party presidential primary debates. The organization hosts foreign policy debates ¹¹ and has hosted alternative candidate debates for the 2020 presidential election, 2018 California gubernatorial election, 2016 presidential election, 2014 Colorado gubernatorial election, 2012 presidential election, the 2008 presidential election, and various other statewide elections since 2008. ¹²

1. “Instagram Post.” Free and Fair Elections Foundation Instagram Page. Posted October 26, 2020. Accessed July 21, 2024. https://www.instagram.com/p/CGx55qzpMRh/.
2. “Free and Equal Presidential Debate at FreedomFest 2024.” Free and Equal Elections Foundation YouTube Profile. Uploaded July 13, 0224. Accessed July 19, 2024. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGlkAKA-y90.
3. “Press Release.” Follow My Vote. July 30, 2021. Accessed July 21, 2024. https://followmyvote.com/press-releases/.
4. “Christina Tobin.” Free and Equal Elections Foundation. Accessed July 19, 2024. https://freeandequal.org/team-member/christina-tobin-founder/.
5. “Christina Tobin.” LinkedIn Profile. Accessed July 19, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/christinatobin/.
6. “Foundation for Free Campaigns and Elections.” ProPublica. Accessed July 21, 2024. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/521272216.
7. “The Free and Equal Elections Foundation.” Cause IQ. Accessed July 21, 2024. https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/the-free-and-equal-elections-foundation,521272216/.
8. “Welcome to the Freedomfest Agenda.” Freedomfest Vegas. Accessed July 19, 2024. https://www.freedomfest.com/agenda/.
9. “Facebook Post.” Free and Fair Elections Foundation Facebook Page. July 12, 2024. Accessed July 21, 2024. https://www.facebook.com/freeandequal/posts/-the-wait-is-almost-over-the-free-and-equal-presidential-debate-at-freedomfest-i/875169841322812/.
10. “Free and Equal Coalition.” Free and Equal Elections Foundation Facebook Page. Posted July 13, 2024. Accessed July 19, 2024. https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=875671574605972&set=a.418799940293140.
11. “X Post.” Free and Equal Elections X Profile. Posted July 13, 2024. Accessed July 19, 2024. https://x.com/FreeandEqual/status/1811930565777719765.
12. “Debates.” Free and Equal Elections Foundation. Accessed July 21, 2024. https://freeandequal.org/debates/.