GLRL Post-Election Statement: Free and Fair Elections & the Rule of Law

Over the past few weeks, our nation’s citizens have exercised their rights to vote in free and fair elections. In fifty states, in both local, state, and national races, the exercise of that sacred privilege of citizenship has once again demonstrated to the world that the United States of America is a strong and healthy democracy. No matter what side of the political divide you are on, all of us should be proud that the system worked. This was an election that went off with hardly a hitch. Millions of citizens successfully participated in the essential ritual of a functioning democracy — voting.

While Georgia Lawyers for the Rule of Law is a nonpartisan initiative, anyone who has followed us for the last 20 months knows that we have been steadfast in our determination to speak out in defense of the Rule of Law and against attacks on judges, lawyers, journalists, universities, and other institutions. We co-sponsored an Election Integrity Forum which made the case that election administration in our country is effective and reliable. We have not hesitated to speak out against unfounded attacks on election administrators as well as attempts to sow doubt about the integrity of our elections.

One of the most noteworthy aspects of the midterm elections around the country has been the smoothness of the process. The system worked. To their credit, and to the benefit of all of us, as of this writing losing candidates have conceded their defeats without raising specious claims that there was fraud in their elections. This is a notable development as our democracy depends on confidence in our elections.

In a unanimous opinion issued 140 years ago, the Supreme Court said that voting “is a fundamental political right, because it is preservative of all rights.” If the right to vote and have that vote counted in free and fair elections were to be compromised, then all of our rights would be in peril. Yesterday, our nation came together and voted, and those votes were counted and accepted in free and fair elections throughout the land. That was a victory for democracy. Indeed, it was a victory for all of us.

In partnership,
Georgia Lawyers for the Rule of Law