CNN broadcast showed photos of lawmakers against counting Electoral votes.
Jocelyn Benson, a Democrat, is the Michigan secretary of state, Katie Hobbs, a Democrat, is the Arizona secretary of state, and Steve Simon, a Democrat, is the Minnesota secretary of state. The views expressed in this commentary are their own.
Amid the hustle and bustle of a new administration — especially one assembling in the aftermath of attempted insurrection and an ongoing pandemic — it can be difficult to remember that Americans just emerged from the most successful, secure election in our country’s history. Despite a similarly historic and unprecedented effort to deny that reality, we must build on our successes and strengthen our democracy for future elections.
The 2020 elections tested the integrity of our Constitution, the value of our votes and the sanctity of the work done by election officials like us. As secretaries of state, we are here to say with pride that the 2020 election was a resounding success. Amid a pandemic, new voting laws, record-high turnout and unprecedented threats of violence, election officials across this country made sure that every valid vote was counted.
In fact, we ran such a safe and accurate election that judges from both sides of the aisle ruled in favor of the states again and again and again when confronted with more than 60 meritless lawsuits attempting to cast uncertainty about the results. Former President Donald Trump’s own attorney general, Bill Barr, confirmed in December there was no widespread fraud, and former Trump administration top cybersecurity official, Chris Krebs, called the 2020 election “the most secure election in American history.”
