Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2020 | 2 a.m.
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From “naked ballot” rules that could void thousands of votes in Pennsylvania, to news of a ballot dropbox set on fire in California, you’ve undoubtedly heard a steady drumbeat of threats to this election. You’ve heard it from politicians, pundits and others who are trying to cast doubt on the security of our electoral process.
What you have not heard are the quiet but strong voices of hundreds of thousands of election workers and law enforcement officials who are working every hour of the day to ensure a safe, fair and free election. There are a lot more of us doing real work than there are of the scaremongers — and we’re much better at our jobs.
As a former Democratic attorney general from Nevada and a former Republican governor of Massachusetts, the two of us may not agree on all of the issues, but we most certainly agree that it is vital to protect the vote. Between us, we have held just about every office you can in state government connected to elections. We’re here to tell you: Your vote is safe. Making sure it is received and counted is our No. 1 priority.
Time and again, state officials like us have risen to the challenge. Governors, attorneys general, secretaries of state and law enforcement have worked together regardless of party to ensure every vote is counted. Recently we’ve come together for the first time across the country through the Voter Protection Program to share our experiences and legal expertise with state officials on the front lines.
We’re working with a bipartisan group to make sure the integrity of this election — and future elections — is protected.
Over the past few weeks, we’ve seen significant victories for voters in the courts. State attorneys general have worked to make sure the U.S. Postal Service’s operations are ready for the election and that mail-in ballots get delivered on time, have prosecuted people suspected of trying to suppress voting with intimidating robocalls, and successfully defended policies to expand access to mail-in ballots during the pandemic.
Meanwhile, we are at work clamping down on any hint that voters might be intimidated and threatened when they go to the polls. Some bad actors are trying to create an impression — through social media or in press appearances — that there will be threats, even though they know that voter interference is illegal. State attorneys general, governors, law enforcement and others can take immediate action to stop intimidation at the polls, and we recently put together a toolkit to help state leaders send the message loud and clear that voter intimidation will not be tolerated. Put simply, no one can interfere with your right to vote.
In fact, millions of voters have already cast ballots. If you’re making voting plans now, whether by mail or in-person, early or on Election Day, rest assured that your state leaders are working with voter protection experts around the clock to protect your vote and safeguard the electoral process.
Early voting has already begun in many states, and this past Saturday marked the first-ever national Vote Early Day. Early voting allows for plenty of time to get out and vote, and for those votes to be counted.
This is an unprecedented election with record numbers of people voting by mail, voting early, and soon, voting on Election Day. The job of state officials is to make sure that every vote is counted, and people should be prepared that it could take a while for us to know the results. That’s part of the process to get the accurate outcome.
We are here to help cut through the misinformation and chaos. This election will be determined by the power of the people. We’re proud to work with leaders from across the political spectrum who believe in upholding our democracy and the rule of law. It may seem at this moment that nothing is certain, but our democracy is something we can and should count on.
Frankie Sue Del Papa is the former three-term attorney general and former secretary of state of Nevada. Bill Weld is the former two-term governor of Massachusetts and former U.S. attorney for the District of Massachusetts.
