OPINION:
America stands alone in human history in its trajectory to greatness, not through tyranny or despotism, but through a form of government that both respects — and reflects — its citizens.
At the heart of this “last great experiment for promoting human happiness,” as George Washington called America, is the electoral process.
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The United States was established as a constitutional republic with a democratic election process that allows its citizenry to choose its leaders. This ensures accountability for elected officials and a stake in government for “We the People.”
Voting is both a right and a privilege as a U.S. citizen, fought for by patriots who love this country and want to see its citizenry engaged in the democratic process. After widespread abuse and fraud during the 2020 election, the confidence of many Americans was shaken, and understandably so, due to widespread mail-in voting, ballot harvesting, questionable voting machines, and more.
While there certainly are still concerns about election integrity, this is never an excuse to throw up your hands in defeat and abstain from voting. With the 2024 election coming up on Tuesday, November 5, here are seven non-negotiables for free and fair elections:
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1. Ban unsolicited mail-in ballots
Unsolicited mail-in ballots sent en masse are a recipe for disaster and rampant fraud. Instead, absentee mail-in ballots should be requested, preventing duplicate ballots, unregistered voters voting, ballot harvesting, and many other abuses.
2. Prohibit ballot trafficking
It should be made illegal for third parties to collect and submit ballots on behalf of others, and instead ensure that only the voter or a family member or guardian can submit the voter’s ballot. This would end exploitative practices like ballot harvesting at nursing homes or concerts.
3. Require voter ID
Americans must provide a valid government ID to fly, rent or buy a home, lease or buy a car, open a bank account, get married, apply for Social Security, and much more. Wouldn’t presenting a valid government ID be the most basic of all election integrity safeguards? It is common sense to require voter identification to confirm a voter’s identity and eligibility to vote across the board.
4. Secure and limit drop boxes
Ballot drop boxes should be limited, regulated, and placed in monitored locations to ensure election integrity as ballot drop boxes were especially abused and used for ballot harvesting during the 2020 election. Some ways to regulate ballot drop boxes are to place them in government buildings with public visibility and security cameras.
5. Update and verify voter rolls
Voter rolls should be regularly updated for accuracy to remove deceased individuals or those who have moved out of the jurisdiction. In each election cycle, there are reports of “dead” voters voting as some exploit this as an opportunity to illegally garner votes. Updating voter rolls (and verifying with ID) prevents this, and other inconsistencies, from occurring.
6. Stop non-citizen voting
Only U.S. citizens have the right to vote in U.S. elections. Period. In some cities, foreign nationals are legally allowed to vote in some elections, and other non-citizens are undoubtedly voting illegally in elections nationwide. Concrete steps must be taken to ensure non-citizens, including illegal immigrants, are barred from voting to prevent foreign interference in elections and to protect the rights and freedoms of U.S. citizens.
7. Keep private funding out of public elections
Over half of states now prohibit or limit private funds in public elections, which prevents election interference. This commonsense move ensures that private donors or organizations aren’t allowed to unlawfully control or influence public elections.
Make sure you are registered to vote this November. While there are certain cases that require an absentee ballot, it is best to vote early in person, and if not early in person, then on Election Day in person. The reason behind early voting in person is that you never know what could hinder you from voting on Election Day (your tire is flat, your child is sick, the voting machines go down, closed roads hinder you from making it on time, weather prevents you from traveling, etc.). Voting early and in person allows you to ensure that your vote counts.
This is the most consequential election of our lifetime. America’s future is on the line with a choice between pro-life or pro-death, secure national boundaries or open borders, law and order or lawlessness and chaos, prosperity or depression, family values or LGBTQ indoctrination, national sovereignty or globalism, freedom or tyranny. It’s important now more than ever for Christians to get out and vote conservative values to preserve freedom at the local, state, and federal levels, as well as push for election integrity.
For the past 248 years, the cornerstone of upholding our enduring republic has been safe and secure elections. The United States has always been the gold standard for democracy with other nations emulating our model. We must not compromise on election integrity — if we don’t have free and fair elections, we don’t have America.
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Jonathan Alexandre, Esq., is Vice President of Governmental Affairs and Senior Counsel for Liberty Counsel and Liberty Counsel Action. Jonathan consults with and advises state and federal legislators and policy groups in government relations. He also serves as General Counsel for the Frederick Douglass Foundation.
During the Trump administration, he was a Presidential Appointee serving on the U.S. Agency for Global Media board of directors. Formerly the Assistant General Counsel and Public Policy Coordinator for the Massachusetts Family Institute in Boston, Jonathan also developed the Massachusetts Attorney Resource Council, a network of pro-family Massachusetts attorneys. Jonathan was a Scholar in Residence at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs in Israel. He also previously served as a civilian attorney at the U.S. Army’s Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center and School. Jonathan and his wife, Renee, enjoy traveling with their toddler daughter.
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