John, 

There is no question that November will mark one of the most consequential elections of our lifetimes. Today, we will begin to lift the veil on a position that often operates behind the scenes, but that has incredible power to protect—or disrupt—American democracy.

In 38 states, the most important figure in protecting fair access to the ballot box is your secretary of state. In Alaska and Utah, the lieutenant governors serve this function, and in ten other states, there is another official with this responsibility.

We saw the power that secretaries of state wield during the 2018 Georgia gubernatorial election when then-Secretary of State Brian Kemp (also the Republican candidate for governor) was accused in federal court of using the official powers of his office to suppress votes for his own electoral benefit.

Kemp denied the charges, but questions about that election’s fairness remain.

Rather than allow these important officials to operate in the background, Generation Progress is launching an effort to pull secretaries of state (or in a few places state officials with similar powers) into the spotlight.

In the vast majority of states, this official is in charge of federal, state, and local elections.

We have already seen states struggle to hold safe and accessible primary elections during the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s imperative that secretaries of state take important steps now to protect democracy before November.

Tell your secretary of state (or officials with similar responsibilities) to protect our elections.

Your secretary of state or chief election official has tremendous power and responsibility to provide free, fair, and safe elections.

In fact, in most states, this official can:

• make online voter registration and same-day registration available to all eligible voters;
• provide all registered voters with the option to vote by mail (also called “absentee ballot”) without having an excuse;
• send mail-in-ballots to every registered voter with pre-paid postage, where allowable (at minimum, secretaries of state should send every registered voter an application for a mail-in ballot with pre-paid postage);
• expand early voting days and increase the number of early polling sites; increase the number of polling sites on election day to reduce lines and crowds for those who vote in-person;
• demand Congress provide adequate election funding and allocate that funding for free and fair elections.

The chaos from the recent Wisconsin primary demonstrates what happens when elected leaders fail to implement election measures to protect voters and our democracy.

Election officials, including secretaries of state in the 38 states where they are in charge of elections, must do their jobs on behalf of voters—and they must be held accountable.

Brent J. Cohen
Executive Director
Generation Progress

P.S. This action is part of our whole toolkit that lets you act to protect eligible voters’ access to the ballot box. Find more resources here!