John Roberts Brakey

People sometimes reject warnings not because they are false… but because accepting them would force them to confront uncomfortable truths. My newest piece uses the ancient Greek story of Cassandra to explore election transparency, public trust, and why verification matters in a constitutional democratic republic. The problems may be complicated. But the solution is simple: Transparency. Verification. Evidence. Hope. Peace. Democracy. John Brakey johnrbrakey.substack.com/p/the-cassandr…

Episode 2: Why I’m Vigilant - Lessons from 21+ Years of Election Transparency Work in Arizona and Across America open.substack.com/pub/johnrbrake…

Plese Read and Share: If Election Systems Already Produce the Public Records Needed to Verify Results… Why Aren’t We Using Them? Why Election Transparency May Determine the Future of Our Democratic Republic Subscribe for free to receive new posts. Thanks for reading John’s Substack! open.substack.com/pub/johnrbrake…

Episode 1: Voting Is Secret. Counting Must Be Public—So Why Was the $2.67 Billion RTA Election Certified Without Verification? open.substack.com/pub/johnrbrake…

When the Story Is Controlled, Democracy Is at Risk open.substack.com/pub/johnrbrake…

🧾 Tucson Handed the RTA $2.67 Billion — Then Refused to Print the Receipt, by @ThreeSonorans open.substack.com/pub/threesonor…

Special Public Accountability Report: Before the $2.67 Billion Vote — The RTA Transparency Lessons Pima County Residents Can’t Afford to Ignore open.substack.com/pub/johnrbrake…

Special Public Accountability Report: Before the $2.67 Billion Vote — The RTA Transparency Lessons Pima County Residents Can’t Afford to Ignore open.substack.com/pub/johnrbrake…

In favor of AZ Republicans: - Large and growing voter registration advantage in AZ. - In Nov. 2020, Republicans outnumbered Dems by roughly 130,000 registrants. - Now, Republicans lead by 330,000 registrants. - State is now 35.8% GOP, 28.2% Dem, 34.3% Ind. - 7.6% gap is largest in a while. In favor of AZ Dems: - Dems are walloping Reps in races throughout the country, including in districts that Trump won in 2024. - Recent Louisiana special election had 37-point swing in favor of Dems. - Recent Texas special election had 31-point swing in favor of Dems. - Since Trump returned to office, Dems have flipped 26 state legislative seats. Republicans have flipped 0. - Dems won VA and NJ governor by bigger-than-expected margins - Trump's approval rating is bad. Quite bad. And getting worse. - The issues Trump is leaning in on (Greenland, ICE, Epstein) are some of his least popular. - Republican voters are now less-educated and less-affluent than Dem voters. These types of voters are less likely to vote in midterm elections. - Many Republican voters turn out for Trump. He's not on the ballot. - Of the big races in AZ, Dems have incumbent Gov, incumbent AG, and incumbent SOS. - Big race CD1 is an open seat. - Big race CD6 is Republican incumbent. - Dems have fundraising advantage in most cases (see today's AZ Central about Hobbs funds vs. Biggs/Schweikert ADVANTAGE = DEMS.

We hope the good people of #SanFrancisco will forgive us for adapting a song about their city in 1967 to address the shocking and tragic events in #Minnesota in recent weeks. This is dedicated to Renée Good and Alex Pretti, and in solidarity. Our version is called "Minnesota" ❤️

BREAKTHROUGH: Miami-Dade will preserve ballot images—allowing public verification of election results. Transparency isn’t partisan; it’s essential. Read how this quiet victory could transform elections nationwide: johnrbrakey.substack.com/p/how-a-small-…

Extortion isn’t how we govern in the United States. Thanks to @FOX10Phoenix.

How a “Small” Decision in Miami-Dade Could Transform Election Transparency Nationwide open.substack.com/pub/johnrbrake…

Supervisors Davis and Fanning — and the Citizens of Santa Cruz County, Arizona open.substack.com/pub/johnrbrake… #SanCruzCountyAZ

Cochise County Arizona Could Set a New Standard for Election Transparency in the Digital Age open.substack.com/pub/johnrbrake…

🔥From Tucson’s aquifer to Gaza’s rubble — the same AI empire is at work.,This article exposes how data centers, water theft, and “progressive” politicians are enabling systems of surveillance and war. Read it. Sit with it. Share it. open.substack.com/pub/threesonor…

American elections were never meant to run on trust alone. They were designed around checks, balances, observable processes, and public verification. Part 3 of this series explores how modern election administration has drifted away from those principles—and how we can restore democratic legitimacy without compromising voter privacy or local control. A must-read for election officials, journalists, and citizens who care about self-government.open.substack.com/pub/johnrbrake…

How do we restore trust in elections without sacrificing voter privacy or local control? Part 3 of this nonpartisan series examines how election power has quietly shifted from observable, precinct-level processes into centralized data systems the public cannot see or verify. It explains why transparency and verification—not blind trust—are the foundation of a healthy democratic republic, and offers a practical path forward through Auditable Ballot Examination (ABE). Voting must remain secret. Counting must be public.open.substack.com/pub/johnrbrake…