Former Vice President Mike Pence on Wednesday said he shares the concerns of voters over the “significant voting irregularities and numerous instances of officials setting aside state election law” in the 2020 presidential election.
In an op-ed for The Daily Signal, Mr. Pence said the storming of the Capitol on Jan. 6 robbed the nation of a prime opportunity to debate questions related to election integrity.
Mr. Pence also sounded the alarm on the “For the People Act” Democrats are pushing on Capitol Hill, saying if it becomes law it would “nationalize elections” and “increase opportunities for election fraud, trample the First Amendment, further erode confidence in our elections, and forever dilute the votes of legally qualified eligible voters.”
“We have to do everything we can to change that and ensure that the American people, no matter which political party they favor, have confidence in the fairness and security of the election process,” Mr. Pence said.
“Leftists not only want you powerless at the ballot box, they want to silence and censor anyone who would dare to criticize their unconstitutional power grab,” he said.
Mr. Pence’s image took a hit among former President Trump’s loyalist supporters this year after he refused to take the unprecedented step as vice president of refusing to allow Congress to certify the Election College vote.
Mr. Trump publicly demanded Mr. Pence to do so, but Mr. Pence sided with constitutional scholars who saw it as outside his powers.
Mr. Pence has been laying low since leaving office, but he has been in contact with Mr. Trump.
Mr. Pence’s team says he is focused on partnerships with the Heritage Foundation and Young America’s Foundation, and on strengthening the ties between the Make America Great Again movement and traditional conservatism.
On Wednesday, he signaled an immediate step is to address lingering concerns over the election, which Mr. Trump insists was stolen from him.
“To restore public confidence in our elections, our leaders should uphold the Constitution, reject congressional Democrats’ plan to nationalize our elections, and get about the serious work of state-based reform that will protect the integrity of the vote for every American,” Mr. Pence said.
• Seth McLaughlin can be reached at smclaughlin@washingtontimes.com.
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