What Free and Equal Elections Foundation does

The Free & Equal Elections Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, non-partisan organization founded in 2008 by Christina Tobin and headquartered in Cambria, California. Its core mission is to broaden electoral choices beyond the two-party duopoly by hosting inclusive, open presidential and down-ballot debates featuring all ballot-qualified candidates, and by educating voters on electoral reform mechanisms such as ranked-choice voting, approval voting, and proportional representation. The organization serves U.S. voters — particularly independents, third-party supporters, and younger demographics — and its offerings include multi-cycle presidential debates (2008, 2012, 2016, 2020, 2024), Electoral Reform Symposiums, the United We Stand Tour (an annual civic engagement program combining music, arts, and education), the open-source Election Assistant Database, and a beta Blockchain Election Assistant App.

The Blockchain Election Assistant App is the organization's most notable technology investment, leveraging Nexus (Nexus.io) blockchain infrastructure to record community votes for debate candidate placement as tamper-proof on-chain transactions. The organization distributes its events free via its website (freeandequal.org), dedicated Rumble channel, and broadcast partnerships with C-SPAN, Scripps News, KPFK 90.7FM, CiVL (Canada), and PODTV. Free & Equal also runs the Open Debates Coalition and has cultivated an endorser roster spanning political figures (RFK Jr., Thomas Massie, Ralph Nader, Dennis Kucinich, Jesse Ventura), entertainers (Russell Brand, Jimmy Dore, Chuck D, Michael Franti), and past presidential candidates (Marianne Williamson, Jo Jorgensen, Howie Hawkins).

Free & Equal operates as a donation-funded non-profit; it sells no products and does not publicly disclose its financials. GTM motion is event-driven, centered on televised debates, concerts, symposiums, and media appearances by founder Christina Tobin on NewsNation, Newsmax, Scripps News, NTD News, PressTV, and IVN. The 2016 media reach was cited at over 150 million people. Historical highlights include the 2012 first globally-televised open presidential debate (moderated by Larry King), the 2020 cross-partisan debate featuring 18 candidates from 10 affiliations, and the 2024 debates at FreedomFest (July) and the October 2024 debate.

Name

Free and Equal Elections Foundation

Legal name

The Free & Equal Elections Foundation

Website

https://freeandequal.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Free & Equal Elections Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 2008 that hosts open U.S. presidential and down-ballot debates, Electoral Reform Symposiums, the United We Stand civic engagement tour, and a beta blockchain-based Election Assistant App. It serves U.S. voters — especially independents, third-party supporters, and younger demographics — and is funded by donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Civic Engagement and Electoral Reform Advocacy

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Political Organizations (813940)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Democracy, Voting Rights & Civic Participation Advocacy (BPAGAFAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Electoral Support & Election Observation (BPADAGAA), On-Chain Voting & Proposal Systems (FSAPAHAA)

Keywords

• Electoral reform advocacy
• Open presidential debates
• Civic engagement programs
• Nonprofit political organization
• Ballot access education

Headquarters

HQ city

Cambria

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, Free & Equal Elections Foundation relies primarily on donations from supporters to fund its debate hosting, symposiums, and the blockchain Election Assistant App. The website prominently features a 'Donate' CTA. Donations are described as tax-deductible.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Free and Equal Elections Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that hosts open presidential and political debates featuring all ballot-qualified candidates, runs the annual United We Stand Tour combining music, arts, and civic education, organizes Electoral Reform Symposiums, and operates a beta blockchain-based Election Assistant App for tamper-proof candidate selection. The organization seeks to broaden electoral choices and challenge the two-party duopoly through inclusive debate forums, voter education tools, and civic engagement events.

Product overview

Free and Equal Elections Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, non-partisan organization that operates primarily as an advocacy and civic engagement organization. Its main offerings include the Blockchain Election Assistant App (beta) for conducting transparent debates using blockchain technology, organizing Presidential and other political debates through its Open Debates Coalition, running the annual United We Stand Tour civic engagement program featuring music and arts, hosting Electoral Reform Symposiums, and developing an Election Assistant Database for voter education. These products work together to broaden electoral choices through education and direct positive action.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Presidential Debates Open Presidential debates featuring all ballot-qualified candidates across the political spectrum, including the Open Debates Coalition events and the People's Presidential Debate series, broadcast nationally via Rumble, C-SPAN, and Scripps News.
• United We Stand Tour Annual nationwide tour dedicated to engaging younger generations in local and national civics through the power of music, arts, and education, bringing together musicians, speakers, and cultural leaders.
• Electoral Reform Symposiums Annual events bringing together intellectuals and experts to share ideas on how to reform the U.S. electoral system, including alternative voting methods, gerrymandering, and ballot access topics.
• Blockchain Election Assistant App Beta-mode debate platform that uses blockchain technology to determine which candidates earn their place on the debate stage, with every vote securely recorded as a tamper-proof transaction guaranteeing integrity and fairness of the selection process.
• Election Assistant Database Open-source, interactive informational tool to help voters learn about candidates at local, state, and federal levels, including candidate facts, voting records, online debates, and campaign finance information.

Quantifiable outcome

• 18 candidates from 10 political affiliations participated in a single cross-partisan debate (2020 primary)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• RumblecoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 September 2024Rumble serves as a primary video streaming platform for Free & Equal's debate broadcasts. The organization maintains an official Rumble channel (rumble.com/c/c-5481116) and all presidential debates are broadcast live via Rumble alongside C-SPAN and Scripps News.
• Scripps NewsmajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 September 2024Scripps News (formerly Newsmax/independent Scripps network) serves as a broadcast partner for Free & Equal presidential debates, providing national news media coverage alongside Rumble and C-SPAN.
• C-SPANmajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 September 2024C-SPAN broadcasts Free & Equal's open presidential debates nationally, providing cable and public affairs media reach to complement Rumble and Scripps News coverage.
• Nexus Earth (Nexus.io)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2024Nexus (Nexus.io/Nexus Earth) provides the blockchain infrastructure powering Free & Equal's beta Election Assistant App. The partnership enables tamper-proof, decentralized voting for candidate selection on debate platforms, with every vote recorded as a secure, immutable blockchain transaction.
• Open the DebatescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 October 2020Open the Debates (a 501(c)(3) project of the Mediators Foundation) co-hosted the October 8, 2020 Open Presidential Debate in Denver with Free & Equal, working together to open the presidential debates to all ballot-qualified candidates at every level of government.
• Fair Elections for ColoradominorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 December 2019Fair Elections for Colorado co-sponsored the 2019 Annual Electoral Reform Symposium hosted by Free & Equal on December 7, 2019 in Denver, Colorado. The organization also co-sponsored the 2015 Second Annual Electoral Reform Symposium.
• Knead PeaceminorOthers · 4 July 2019Knead Peace co-hosted the United We Stand Concert event in Texas (July 4-6, 2019) at their property in Belton, TX. The event supported veterans through a combination of music, speakers, and holistic therapies.
• University of Colorado BoulderminorOthers · 25 October 2016The University of Colorado Boulder served as the venue and co-host for the 2016 United We Stand Festival and People's Presidential Debate at Macky Auditorium and the Coors Event Center.
• Stoney Hill StudiosminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 14 November 2015Stoney Hill Studios serves as the production company for Free & Equal's Electoral Reform Symposiums and United We Stand events, providing videography and event production services.
• Boulder County League of Women VotersminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 November 2015The Boulder County League of Women Voters, through its representative Celeste Landry, participated in Free & Equal's Electoral Reform Symposiums, specifically on the topic of multi-winner proportional representation.
• University of Wisconsin-MadisonminorOthers · 28 October 2012Free & Equal organized a panel discussion at UW Madison featuring Theresa Amato, Cindy Sheehan, Angela Keaton, Sean Scallon, and Ben Manski. The university provided the venue for this electoral reform discussion.
• Goldwater InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 October 2012Free & Equal Elections Foundation co-hosted a panel discussion with the Goldwater Institute on Arizona's Proposition 121 (Top Two Primary System) in October 2012, examining the problems with limiting voter choices through top-two primaries.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• RepresentUs: Larger bipartisan anti-corruption and democracy-reform organization working on ranked-choice voting, anti-gerrymandering, and campaign-finance reform — overlapping reform agenda with Free & Equal but at meaningfully larger scale and budget.
• Issue One: National cross-partisan organization focused on reducing political polarization and reforming U.S. democratic institutions; addresses electoral reform, ethics, and representation topics closely aligned with Free & Equal's symposium and advocacy work.
• Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD): The long-standing institutional organizer of U.S. presidential debates; Free & Equal is the only non-CPD entity to host nationally-televised open presidential debates, making CPD its most direct structural counterparty rather than a direct collaborator.

Direct peers

• Unite America: Nonprofit focused on open primaries, ranked-choice voting, and independent voter engagement; operates in the same electoral-reform policy and advocacy lane as Free & Equal and co-appears at events such as Politicon.
• Open Primaries: Advocacy organization promoting open/non-partisan primary elections to break the two-party duopoly — a reform directly aligned with Free & Equal's free-and-equal ballot-access mission and overlapping endorser base.
• Independent Voter Project: Nonprofit advancing independent and third-party voter rights and ballot access in the U.S.; comparable scale and audience to Free & Equal with significant topical overlap around open debates and multi-party electoral reform.
• Open the Debates: Co-host of the October 2020 Open Presidential Debate and direct mission partner; operates as a project of the Mediators Foundation with near-identical open-debate and electoral-access goals.
• FairVote: Leading U.S. nonprofit advancing ranked-choice voting and proportional representation — the same reform topics Free & Equal features in its Electoral Reform Symposiums — with overlapping donor, activist, and academic networks.

Emerging players

• Electoral Reform Now: Smaller reform-focused nonprofit advocating structural changes to U.S. elections; operates in the same electoral-reform space as Free & Equal but with a narrower program and no comparable national debate footprint.
• Ballot Access News: Long-running specialist publication tracking ballot-access laws and third-party candidate eligibility across U.S. states; closely complementary to Free & Equal's mission of getting more candidates on debate stages and ballots.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCEZJ_6qgnT0gQ754yU5_1zw
• Facebookfacebook.com/freeandequal
• Instagraminstagram.com/freeandequalelections
• Xx.com/freeandequal

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Free and Equal Elections Foundation