Since the time of our Founding Fathers, we have called our democracy an experiment — a series of tests of self-determination, of tenacious willpower, and of human ingenuity. We have, in the words of President Lincoln, remained dedicated to this “new birth of freedom” and embraced the challenges that have arisen on our challenge to preserve and protect our democracy.
We will always be a work in progress, striving — in the words of our founders — to form a more perfect union. In that pursuit we exercise our freedom to vote, a freedom that has been tirelessly defended by generations of Americans. By doing so, we elect leaders that we believe best represent the values, policies, and principles that will make our country a better place and the American dream more accessible. And while we may vigorously debate and disagree with one another on specific policy proposals, there are core principles that every American citizen should follow to preserve and strengthen our republic.
On the eve of another hotly contested election, we can all agree on these key pillars and principles no matter our political differences or our party preference.
What we must do
First: We must accept the outcome of our free elections.
Election officials follow stringent processes to verify voters, count ballots, and conduct post election audits to ensure that the results are accurate. Sometimes, people may challenge election results. But our system requires proof and following the law, and once all legitimate challenges have been heard, we accept the result so that we can move forward as a country regardless of whether our favored candidate wins or loses.
Second: We must condemn political violence.
It threatens our way of life and undermines the strength of our country. Election officials across the country, like Pennsylvania Secretary of State Al Schmidt, have been the subject of death threats and unwarranted scrutiny simply for following the law and doing their mandated job.
We can look to election workers’ courage and dedication for what is possible if we are oriented towards a common goal to benefit our local communities, and our country as a whole.
These threats are exacerbated by a toxic online information environment, rife with influence from both domestic and foreign actors. China, Russia and Iran are actively attacking our election infrastructure. We understand foreign adversaries, bad actors, and some leading voices in our politics will continue to undermine our democratic institutions, malign our elections, and even incite political violence. We must call out these efforts for what they are, and reassure our neighbors by sharing truthful, fact-based information about our elections from trusted sources and messengers.
Third: We must transfer power peacefully.
The Electoral Count Reform and Presidential Transition Act that was passed with bipartisan votes in 2022 will hopefully protect the country from a constitutional crisis and prevent rogue actors from subverting the will of the people. The government of the people, by the people, for the people is the cornerstone of what makes our democracy great and any policy or political disagreement will be settled at the ballot box by the people, not with bloodshed.
Lastly: We must stand strongly behind the Rule of Law under the U.S. Constitution whereby all citizens are held to the same standards regardless of their position in government or society at-large.
Building trust, honoring citizenship, and promoting civility have been fundamental stepping stones to honor those principles. These beliefs are embodied daily by bipartisan election officials across the country — our friends and neighbors that have been fully trained using validated processes for meticulously counting ballots. These people have been disproportionately affected by political violence, but still show up to stand on the frontlines of democracy in order to protect our right to vote.
Too often these election workers are protected with Kevlar vests, bulletproof glass at their office and chained fences around their workplaces. We can look to their courage and dedication for what is possible if we are oriented towards a common goal to benefit our local communities, and our country as a whole. As we near our 250th birthday, these principles should continue to be our shared North Star.
Pennsylvania is a state of champions — the Steelers, the Eagles, the 76ers, the Penguins and even our many U.S. Olympic champions. This election cycle, let us all stand and champion the principles that have upheld this transformative world experiment in self-governance, freedom and independence.
Tim Roemer (D-Indiana), a former U.S. representative and ambassador to India, is co-chair of ReFormers Caucus, a bipartisan coalition of 200 former elected officials “united to fix our broken electoral system”. Jim Gerlach (R-Pennsylvania), also a member of the Caucus, is a former U.S. representative from Chester and Berks counties.
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