Despite having an election system that is free, fair, and secure, the United States is again awash in false and misleading narratives about the potential for election fraud.
This statement was originally published on freedomhouse.org on 24 October 2024.
Public leaders and the media have a crucial role to play in protecting and defending America’s elections in the weeks and months ahead.
With less than two weeks before the elections on November 5, democracy watchers are understandably on edge about risks surrounding the election process and the peaceful transfer of power in the United States.
The echoes of the last presidential election are unavoidable. Despite having an election system that is free, fair, and secure, the United States is again awash in false and misleading narratives about the potential for election fraud, promoted by former president Donald Trump and some of his allies and supporters. Like all strong democracies, the United States has professional and secure election processes that minimize potential for fraud, as well as an independent judicial system to weigh evidence and adjudicate claims of irregularities – as federal and state courts did in scores of cases following the 2020 elections, finding no evidence of widespread fraud. Nonetheless, misleading narratives about fraud have continued ahead of the November elections, and Trump has once again refused to commit to accepting the results or to condemn all forms of political violence.
In October 2020, Freedom House made an explicit appeal to journalists and public leaders to take precautionary measures ahead of that year’s elections due to concerns about a waning commitment to key democratic principles. We called on leaders to accept election results, commit openly to a peaceful transfer of power, and avoid incitement of violence; these are basic and foundational democratic principles that should be accepted by all people in a democracy. The concerns proved prescient, as the effort to overturn a free and fair election culminated in the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.
Important steps have been taken in the past four years to prevent a similar crisis this time around. Among them are the passage of the bipartisan Electoral Count Reform Act, which significantly narrowed opportunities for meddling in election certification at the presidential level; the more than 1,000 criminal convictions and guilty pleas for January 6–related crimes; and efforts by a wide range of leaders to build trust in elections and mitigate risks of election-related crises, with important leadership from prominent Republicans.
But significant risks to peaceful and orderly elections and the transfer of power remain – from harassment of election workers, to election-day security risks, to certification meddling, to political violence. Public leaders and the media have a crucial role to play in protecting and defending America’s elections in the weeks and months ahead. Through their words and deeds, they can uphold democratic values, discourage violence, and promote both reasonable scrutiny and trust and acceptance in the outcomes of this foundational democratic process. To do so, politicians, journalists, and other public figures should take the following steps.
- Promote and uphold the rule of law, including by accepting courts’ final decision on election disputes. In public statements and reporting on the voting, counting, and certification processes, emphasize adherence to electoral laws and the proper adjudication of any disputes in state and federal courts. Attest that rules and procedures are in place, that everyone must abide by them, and most importantly, that the system is equipped to address any violations without the need for intervention beyond the courts.
- Avoid incitement and denounce violence, harassment, and intimidation. Public leaders should avoid careless or inflammatory language and denounce any attempt to intimidate, harass, threaten, or incite violence against opponents, their supporters, election workers, judges, or other potentially threatened groups. The upsurge in harassment and threats against poll workers since 2020 is just one serious security concern among many heading into the elections, and leaders must be mindful of how their words can either stoke or defuse such threats.
- Affirm the integrity of elections and provide context about the process. Remind the public about the many safeguards in our election system to prevent fraud. Avoid careless language that could undermine public faith in final election results, or encourage distorting, disrupting, or truncating the voting, counting, or adjudication processes. The Principles for Trusted Elections, led by the Carter and Ford Centers and endorsed by Freedom House, offer a straightforward five-point framework for public leaders to follow in their communications and behavior. If claims about voting irregularities or other disruptions arise, provide appropriate context to help the public understand their veracity and their potential (or not) to impact election outcomes, as well as the relevant judicial and other processes in place to adjudicate the claims. Critically, consistently remind the public that final results may not be available on election night or for days afterwards, that this is expected given procedural ballot-counting requirements in some states, and that such delays are not a sign of fraud, but rather the necessary process of ensuring that every vote is counted. The Election Overtime Project is a valuable resource for journalists as they prepare to cover close or contested elections, providing critical information to help explain the transparency and security of the system and the relevant verification processes and judicial procedures in place.
- Stand up to irresponsible behavior from “your side.” Public figures should speak out and correct those in their own political party, on their own side of the political spectrum, or within their own news organization or company who stray from the basic principles of democracy or otherwise undermine the electoral process. It is essential to reject false claims about election fraud, any efforts to impede the voting, counting, or certification processes, or refusal to accept final outcomes. Leaders should also denounce rhetoric from allies that demonizes or “otherizes” opponents or attacks vulnerable populations. The integrity and continuity of the American democratic system should take precedence over any partisan or personal interests that may benefit in the short term from irresponsible speech or activity, or from silence in the face of such speech or activity.
Despite the competitive tensions inherent in the United States’ closely contested national elections, it was not long ago that the vast majority of its public leaders tended to abide by the first three norms above almost reflexively. But the steep escalation in violations of these norms around the 2020 elections and since has put the United States in new and dangerous territory, amid an already-troubling backdrop of intensifying polarization and mutual dislike among Americans of the other party.
That is why the fourth step, willingness to check democratic violations from one’s own “side,” is the action our country needs most from political leaders in the weeks ahead. Many public figures – including on the political right – have been doing just that in the lead-up to the elections, and more leaders from across the political spectrum should follow their example.
