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Dear John, I want to make one thing emphatically clear: Every vote must and will be counted. While it may take time to count all of the votes, especially given the pandemic and the historic number of mail-in ballots, we must hold strong and allow for the democratic process to play out. States are duty-bound to see the count through to the very last vote. I know it has been a long four-year wait, but if we must wait a little longer in order to get the final results of a free and fair election, then that wait must be respected. This election period has been challenging. Amid a pandemic, Americans have overcome unprecedented obstacles—turning out early or via mail in record numbers—and it appears that more ballots have been cast in this election than in any in recent history. That’s because of voters like you. You encouraged your families; you galvanized your communities. At the same time, we have witnessed our democracy being threatened and undermined by voter suppression and voter intimidation. Many leaders even chose voter suppression as their primary electoral strategy. For weeks, political actors sought to curtail the counting of lawfully cast ballots. They also installed partisan hacks in key positions, including at the U.S. Postal Service, or actively worked to make it more difficult for Americans to vote early, vote in person, or drop off their ballot before Election Day. And to top it off, last night we heard more baseless accusations of election fraud. But, in spite of that, the numbers speak for themselves: The American public has turned out and they have made their voices heard. Our country has conducted elections amid incredible hardship in the past. We’ve had elections during world wars and a civil war, the Great Depression, and even during a previous pandemic. In each of those elections, America has taken the time to count each vote, certify the results, and conduct a peaceful transfer of power. This year can be no different. In solidarity, Daniella Gibbs Léger Executive Vice President for Communications and Strategy Center for American Progress | ||
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