SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Protesters rally to demand protection for voting rights on the 58th anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, in Washington, D.C, on August 28, 2021. (Photo: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds//AFP via Getty Images)
The Very Best Response to GOP Election Denial? Vote.
Voting is the best answer to voter intimidation, election disruption, and sabotage.
Nov 08, 2022
There's only one message this morning: get out and vote.
This is the first election in American history in which political leaders are pushing conspiracy theories and lies about democracy itself.
Here's the good news: more than half of all Americans who will vote in this midterm election have already cast their ballot. Overwhelmingly, they have done so without incident. It has been calm and safe, just like any other year. There are a handful of exceptions--the armed men stalking some drop boxes in Arizona, blocked by a federal court, was the most visible example. But as that ruling reinforced, it is illegal to harass voters or election workers. Law enforcement this year has finally begun to step up to ensure safety.
But even though voters so far are experiencing a calm and normal election process, we all know it is anything but normal.
This is the first election in American history in which political leaders are pushing conspiracy theories and lies about democracy itself. It's no coincidence that the harassment occurred in Arizona, where prominent election deniers are running for senator, governor, and secretary of state. Michigan is having similar problems. Election deniers are on the ballot for governor and attorney general, while a group is signing up vigilante volunteers to install hidden cameras at ballot drop boxes and carry weapons in anticipation of trouble. There is a straight line between election denial and voter intimidation.
If you experience any form of voter intimidation, you should alert poll workers, local election officials, and the Election Protection hotline at 866-OUR-VOTE. If you are a poll worker and you experience threats or intimidation, call law enforcement. Police departments across the country are coordinating with election officials to ensure that the 2022 election is safe.
And while the voting process so far has been secure, we know that after the voting is over, the process of counting and certifying results may be the subject of conspiracy theories, violent threats, and fake news, as it was in 2020. If these election deniers lose fair and square, will they ever accept the results? That would itself be a challenge to the norms of our democracy.
Our elections are secure. They are trustworthy. And our polling places are safe. Millions of people have already cast their ballots. I urge you to join them. If you haven't already, please vote.
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, The U.S. is on a fast track to authoritarianism like nothing I've ever seen. Meanwhile, corporate news outlets are utterly capitulating to Trump, twisting their coverage to avoid drawing his ire while lining up to stuff cash in his pockets. That's why I believe that Common Dreams is doing the best and most consequential reporting that we've ever done. Our small but mighty team is a progressive reporting powerhouse, covering the news every day that the corporate media never will. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. And to ignite change for the common good. Now here's the key piece that I want all our readers to understand: None of this would be possible without your financial support. That's not just some fundraising cliche. It's the absolute and literal truth. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. Will you donate now to help power the nonprofit, independent reporting of Common Dreams? Thank you for being a vital member of our community. Together, we can keep independent journalism alive when it’s needed most. - Craig Brown, Co-founder |
© 2023 Brennan Center for Justice
Michael Waldman
Michael Waldman is President of the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law, a nonpartisan law and policy institute that focuses on improving the systems of democracy and justice.
There's only one message this morning: get out and vote.
This is the first election in American history in which political leaders are pushing conspiracy theories and lies about democracy itself.
Here's the good news: more than half of all Americans who will vote in this midterm election have already cast their ballot. Overwhelmingly, they have done so without incident. It has been calm and safe, just like any other year. There are a handful of exceptions--the armed men stalking some drop boxes in Arizona, blocked by a federal court, was the most visible example. But as that ruling reinforced, it is illegal to harass voters or election workers. Law enforcement this year has finally begun to step up to ensure safety.
But even though voters so far are experiencing a calm and normal election process, we all know it is anything but normal.
This is the first election in American history in which political leaders are pushing conspiracy theories and lies about democracy itself. It's no coincidence that the harassment occurred in Arizona, where prominent election deniers are running for senator, governor, and secretary of state. Michigan is having similar problems. Election deniers are on the ballot for governor and attorney general, while a group is signing up vigilante volunteers to install hidden cameras at ballot drop boxes and carry weapons in anticipation of trouble. There is a straight line between election denial and voter intimidation.
If you experience any form of voter intimidation, you should alert poll workers, local election officials, and the Election Protection hotline at 866-OUR-VOTE. If you are a poll worker and you experience threats or intimidation, call law enforcement. Police departments across the country are coordinating with election officials to ensure that the 2022 election is safe.
And while the voting process so far has been secure, we know that after the voting is over, the process of counting and certifying results may be the subject of conspiracy theories, violent threats, and fake news, as it was in 2020. If these election deniers lose fair and square, will they ever accept the results? That would itself be a challenge to the norms of our democracy.
Our elections are secure. They are trustworthy. And our polling places are safe. Millions of people have already cast their ballots. I urge you to join them. If you haven't already, please vote.
Michael Waldman
Michael Waldman is President of the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law, a nonpartisan law and policy institute that focuses on improving the systems of democracy and justice.
There's only one message this morning: get out and vote.
This is the first election in American history in which political leaders are pushing conspiracy theories and lies about democracy itself.
Here's the good news: more than half of all Americans who will vote in this midterm election have already cast their ballot. Overwhelmingly, they have done so without incident. It has been calm and safe, just like any other year. There are a handful of exceptions--the armed men stalking some drop boxes in Arizona, blocked by a federal court, was the most visible example. But as that ruling reinforced, it is illegal to harass voters or election workers. Law enforcement this year has finally begun to step up to ensure safety.
But even though voters so far are experiencing a calm and normal election process, we all know it is anything but normal.
This is the first election in American history in which political leaders are pushing conspiracy theories and lies about democracy itself. It's no coincidence that the harassment occurred in Arizona, where prominent election deniers are running for senator, governor, and secretary of state. Michigan is having similar problems. Election deniers are on the ballot for governor and attorney general, while a group is signing up vigilante volunteers to install hidden cameras at ballot drop boxes and carry weapons in anticipation of trouble. There is a straight line between election denial and voter intimidation.
If you experience any form of voter intimidation, you should alert poll workers, local election officials, and the Election Protection hotline at 866-OUR-VOTE. If you are a poll worker and you experience threats or intimidation, call law enforcement. Police departments across the country are coordinating with election officials to ensure that the 2022 election is safe.
And while the voting process so far has been secure, we know that after the voting is over, the process of counting and certifying results may be the subject of conspiracy theories, violent threats, and fake news, as it was in 2020. If these election deniers lose fair and square, will they ever accept the results? That would itself be a challenge to the norms of our democracy.
Our elections are secure. They are trustworthy. And our polling places are safe. Millions of people have already cast their ballots. I urge you to join them. If you haven't already, please vote.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.