Who's behind the news?
Who's behind the news?
Indianapolis, IN
Declare is a digital news platform covering American politics and government. Its primary focus in its first year is election policy and administration, with more attention to state and local election administration than to national storylines in Washington, D.C. It publishes features, explainers, spot news and commentary, and its site has sections for video ("Watch"), Data & Polling, an Election Integrity Map, and a weekly newsletter focused mostly on the 2026 midterm election process. Its topic sections are Administration, Policy, Trust in Elections and Commentary.
Declare launched in November 2025. The earliest article found is dated Nov. 17, 2025. Its About page was last modified Dec. 3, 2025.
Its parent, RightCount Inc., is listed in IRS data (via ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer) as a 501(c)(3) in Indianapolis, Indiana, tax-exempt since May 2024. In June 2026,
Carnegie Corporation of New York recorded a $500,000, 30-month general-support grant to RightCount; the grant description says the funds will help RightCount expand its network of civic leaders who speak publicly on election trust and grow its news channel covering "election administration, policy, and certification issues."
On July 10, 2026, Declare published its Election Integrity Map. Its About page says it is focused mostly on the 2026 midterm election process.
Nov. 17, 2025. "Scott Leiendecker, Dominion Buyer, Is Just an Election Admin (a Well-Liked One)," by Chris Deaton. Reported profile of the former St. Louis Republican elections director whose company acquired Dominion Voting Systems in October 2025, quoting sources including his former Democratic counterpart in St. Louis, Matthew Potter; Boulder County Clerk Molly Fitzpatrick; and Colorado County Clerks Association executive director Matt Crane. The article says Leiendecker did not respond to the author's interview requests.
July 10, 2026. Election Integrity Map — an interactive 50-state map covering post-election processes, mail-ballot deadlines, noncitizen voting and voter ID laws, built by Declare's editorial and digital teams with contributor Stephen Richer, who supplied the noncitizen-voting information. The launch article (Chris Deaton and Stephen Richer) calls it "descriptive, not prescriptive" and says it is not a scorecard.
July 23, 2026". State of the Secretaries: Brad Raffensperger and Phil McGrane" (Declare Staff) — video conversation with the chief election officials of Georgia and Idaho, conducted by Trey Grayson, a Declare contributor and former Kentucky secretary of state.
Sept. 18, 2026. "State of the Secretaries with Stephanie Thomas" (Declare Staff) — written Q&A with Connecticut's Secretary of the State, a Democrat.
Aug. – Oct. 2026. Articles on noncitizen-voting audits by contributor Stephen Richer, including "Lessons from a Noncitizen Voting Audit in Arizona" (Aug. 11), "Georgia Keeps Auditing for Noncitizen Voting, and the Results Are Consistent" (Sept. 15) and "Texas, Arizona Officials Release New Findings about Noncitizen Voters" (Oct. 6). Declare also published his Sept. 21, 2026 testimony to a House Judiciary subcommittee.
Sept. 15, 2026. "Mail Ballot Rule Won't Apply to Midterms, Supreme Court Decides," by Chris Deaton. Spot news on the Supreme Court's order (No. 26A305) leaving in place a lower-court block of a U.S. Postal Service mail-ballot rule for the November 2026 elections.
Editor. Chris Deaton
Former Managing Editor and Editor of Red Alert Politics and Deputy Online Editor of The Weekly Standard; former congressional aide
Staff Writer. Miranda Combs
Former communications director for the Kentucky secretary of state; former TV news director
Contributor. Stephen Richer
Former elected (Republican) Maricopa County Recorder; Cato Institute; CEO of Republic Affairs
Contributor. Trey Grayson
Former Kentucky secretary of state
RightCount Inc.
Officers (IRS data via ProPublica, fiscal year 2024): Cameron Savage (Chair), Soren Dayton (President/director), Paul Ciaramitaro (Secretary), Kelly Gosselin (Treasurer/director). ProPublica notes additional people may be listed.
Location. Not stated by Declare. Its parent, RightCount Inc., is listed in Indianapolis, Indiana, in IRS data.
Parent organization. RightCount Inc., 501(c)(3), EIN 99-1452080 — rightcount.org
Social. X @DeclareNews
Website. https://declarenews.org/
Declare — home page. https://declarenews.org/ — tagline, sections, recent headlines and bylines.
Declare — About. https://declarenews.org/about/ — self-description, "Our Name and Mission," affiliation with "the 501(c)(3) RightCount," disclosure policy; last modified Dec. 3, 2025.
Declare — FAQs. https://declarenews.org/faqs/ — November 2025 launch; "constitutionally conservative tendency"; "a product of the 501(c)(3) RightCount, Inc."
Declare — Authors & Voices. https://declarenews.org/authors/ — Chris Deaton (Editor) and Miranda Combs (Staff Writer) bios.
Declare — Stephen Richer author page. Stephen Richer — bio and article list with dates.
Declare — Chris Deaton, Nov. 17, 2025. Scott Leiendecker, Dominion Buyer, Is Just an Election Admin (a Well-Liked One) — earliest article found.
Declare — Chris Deaton and Stephen Richer, July 10, 2026. Read About Declare’s New Election Integrity Map — map categories, method and authorship.
Declare — Declare Staff, July 23, 2026. State of the Secretaries: Brad Raffensperger and Phil McGrane — video interview conducted by Trey Grayson.
Declare — Declare Staff, Sept. 18, 2026. State of the Secretaries with Stephanie Thomas — written Q&A.
Declare — Chris Deaton, Sept. 15, 2026. Mail Ballot Rule Won’t Apply to Midterms, Supreme Court Decides — Supreme Court order No. 26A305.
ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer (IRS data). Rightcount Inc — EIN 99-1452080 — Indianapolis, IN; 501(c)(3); tax-exempt since May 2024; FY2024 filing and officers.
Carnegie Corporation of New York — grantee record. RightCount — $500,000, 30-month general-support grant dated June 4, 2026; purpose description.
RightCount. RightCount — Protecting the Integrity of Every Vote — self-description.
WisPolitics — RightCount Wisconsin press release, Oct. 2, 2026. RightCount Wisconsin, Wisconsin Alliance for Civic Trust: Partner for conversation with WI clerks — RightCount described as "a 501(c)(3) entity that conducts research and educates fellow citizens around election integrity issues."
State of Connecticut — Secretary of the State biography. The Biography of Stephanie Thomas — title; took office Jan. 4, 2023.
NBC Connecticut, Aug. 9, 2022. Dem Stephanie Thomas, GOP’s Dominic Ripini Win Secretary of the State Races — Thomas’s party (Democrat).
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