This Votebeat journalist combines two decades of investigative rigor with a passion for democratizing ballot access. Her work sits at the crossroads of policy implementation and community trust-building.
“Democracy isn’t abstract—it’s the poll worker who adjusts magnifiers for visually impaired voters at 6 AM.” - Brand-Williams, 2024 SPJ keynote
We’ve tracked Oralandar Brand-Williams’ evolution from WDIV-TV newsrooms to becoming Votebeat’s authoritative voice on electoral integrity. Her 25-year trajectory reveals a journalist mastering the intersection of civil rights, policy implementation, and community trust in democratic systems.
Brand-Williams’ career began at WDIV-TV and WWJ Newsradio, where she honed breaking news instincts during Detroit’s 2008 financial crisis coverage. Her transition to The Detroit News (2012-2022) saw pioneering work on the Flint water crisis’ voting access implications. Since joining Votebeat in 2022, she’s become a national authority on post-2020 election reforms, with her analysis cited in Brennan Center reports and Congressional testimony.
This 2023 analysis dissected Michigan’s inaugural implementation of Proposal 2’s nine-day early voting mandate. Brand-Williams embedded with clerks in Grand Rapids, Detroit, and Traverse City, revealing how 38 municipalities streamlined cross-jurisdictional coordination. Her data journalism shines through precinct-level turnout maps showing urban-rural participation gaps. The piece became essential reading for secretaries of state studying midterm election reforms.
Brand-Williams’ investigative rigor exposed how Stanley Grot continued overseeing elections while under indictment for 2020 false elector charges. Through FOIA-obtained emails and surveillance footage analysis, she revealed gaps in Michigan’s election official accountability systems. The piece prompted bipartisan legislation (HB 4129) to automatically suspend clerks facing felony charges.
This 2021 exposé combined court document analysis with survivor interviews to trace institutional failures across three states. Brand-Williams’ sourcing of internal Boy Scouts memos led to Michigan’s first application of the state’s expanded sexual abuse prosecution window. The Detroit News reported a 300% increase in tip line calls following publication.
Brand-Williams prioritizes hyperlocal case studies showing how federal decisions affect municipal operations. Pitches should include specific budget figures, staffing challenges, or technology adaptations. Her April 2024 piece on ERIC system withdrawals used county-level procurement records to show 17% increases in voter roll maintenance costs.
Successful pitches demonstrate awareness of intersecting oversight bodies. Her ongoing series on third-party voting system vendors examines roles of EAC certifications, state legislatures, and local contract clauses. Provide documentation showing gaps between policy mandates and ground-level implementation.
With 63% of her 2023 articles profiling election workers, Brand-Williams seeks stories transcending partisan rhetoric. Pitch narratives about poll worker training innovations or mental health impacts of harassment. Her December 2023 feature on a clerk with Parkinson’s adapting ballot design won a Casey Medal.
“The most dogged defender of voting access truths in the Great Lakes region.” - 2024 Michigan Press Association citation
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