Americans face a crisis of confidence in their elections. Last year, in a unique emergency, many hasty changes were made in the way that our elections were held. In the rush to let people vote without risking their health, too little attention was paid to the ways in which these changes might open the door to fraud. That must change. The mistakes of 2020 must not be repeated. Mailing out ballots to people who have not requested them must stop. Reliable voter ID is essential. The citizenship of each person who registers must be confirmed. The voting must end on election day. Ballots arriving later in the mail should not be counted. The list of registered voters must be frequently and carefully updated to remove those who have died or moved. The vote counting must be clearly visible to observers. If we repeat the mistakes of 2020, Americans will continue to wonder whether they can trust the outcome. Election reform to guarantee the integrity of our elections is the only answer. Please be sure that our state meets all of these necessary standards.

If Americans are to enjoy the blessings of a republican government, we must know that our elections, especially the counting of the votes, have been conducting accurately and honestly. During 2020, changes in procedures led to confusion and chaos. Many people began to wonder if they could trust the official count. Fortunately, it should be simple to restore confidence. First, all voting must involve paper ballots which can be counted separately to verify the machine count. Second, mailed ballots should be counted only if they arrive by election day. Third, mailed ballots must not be counted unless the identity of the voter has been verified. This may be done by requiring an ID number (e.g. drivers’ license or Social Security), a copy of an ID, or signature verification using a process that has been proven to be reliable. Fourth, the voting should continue without a break until it is completed. Shifts of workers should be used if necessary to keep the count going. Fifth, observers must be able to clearly see everything that is going on. Video recordings of the process would provide a valuable resource in case of disputes. Each state needs to be sure that all these safeguards are in place. I am counting on you to protect the integrity of our elections.

No one denies that some people cast illegal votes last year. The only dispute is how many such votes there were. Even one illegal vote is too many. Razor-close elections should not be decided by the votes of those who were not eligible. The voter rolls must be maintained in a scrupulously accurate manner. Those who die or move must be removed. Citizenship verification must also be a part of the registration process. Noncitizens must not be allowed to take part in our elections, and those who do must be prosecuted and punished. Photo ID must be required at the polls, and an equally reliable method used for absentee ballots. Every legal vote must be counted in 2022 and 2024, but only legal votes. I am counting on you to make sure that our state will have all these vital protections in place.

The massive expansion and loosened standards for voting by mail in 2020 will be a major problem unless corrected before 2022. Voting by mail is inherently more subject to fraud and intimidation and should be limited. It would be best if absentee ballots were only allowed for those with a clearly valid reason for not voting in person. The mere desire not to go to the polls should not be enough. However, at the very least, no ballot should be mailed out except when explicitly requested by a registered voter. Mass mailings of unrequested ballots, many of which will go to the homes of people who have died or moved, are an invitation to fraud. Furthermore, both the request for a ballot and the ballot itself should require a reliable method of identification, guaranteeing that the vote will be cast by that voter. Without these safeguards, we must fear that our elections will be corrupted by mail-in ballot stuffing. The experience of Patterson, New Jersey, may be repeated again and again. I am counting on you to be sure that our state will have these safeguards in place in time to 2022.

Our election procedures need to be made secure against fraud before the 2022 elections and time is running out! Legislation should be enacted no later than early next year to guarantee that our elections will be honest and accurate. We must be sure that each person who votes can prove his identity. This is just as important for mail-in voters as it is for those who vote in person. The voter rolls themselves must be thoroughly cleaned at brief intervals to remove those who have died or moved, and non-citizens must not be allowed to register. The procedures for counting and reporting the votes must allow for the unofficial results to be known in hours, not days or weeks. Observers of the counts and recounts must be able to clearly see all that is happening, and video recording would help resolve disputes over whether the procedures were properly followed. The next election too close for any delay. I am counting on you to make sure our state has all the safeguards in place for 2022.