Louise Rosen Byer Blog
When I wrote my Letter to American Democracy a few days before January 6, 2021, I was concerned both as an elections lawyer and an American voter, that our electoral process was being challenged in unprecedented ways. We all know that what sets democracy apart is the ability of the people to decide whom they want to lead and to hold office.
Election integrity fundamental to democracy had not been challenged on a national scale until 2021. The Bush / Gore election count was not a challenge to the entire election. This challenge to our electoral process has undermined for some the general assumption and belief that our elections are secure and fair.
When I was a young lawyer, I had colleagues in the American Bar Association who went to help set up democratic elections in countries that didn’t have them. Americans are fortunate to have had years of secure elections. In the past, those responsible for carrying out elections put their partisan desires aside. Now some of those elections officials don’t seem to understand their role is to be neutral and not partisan.