On November 5th, We Urge Every American to Make Their Voice Heard
AFP’s mission is to empower every American to pursue their American Dream. We do this by expanding freedom and opportunity. How? By engaging and amplifying the voices of millions of Americans to advance policy solutions from the statehouse to the White House.
The hard work of advancing good policy begins after every election. But first, on November 5th, every American will have the opportunity to make their voice heard. No matter who you support and what you believe, we encourage all eligible Americans to cast their vote and peacefully engage in the political process.
Put simply, our democracy is stronger when more people engage.
America’s system of constitutional self-governance is the envy of the world. It has unleashed the ingenuity of the American people to build and innovate faster than any other country at any point in history. We’ve still got a lot of work ahead to live up to the promise of the Declaration of Independence, and we believe that’s what it means to be an American. So we’re going to roll up our sleeves and get it done, together.
As we head into Election Day 2024, we’ve got to be clear about what needs to happen:
It is up to our public officials to ensure that all Americans can exercise their right to vote through fair, safe, and secure elections. This is essential for our government to derive its just powers from the consent of the governed. And it’s essential so that Americans can trust the outcome of the election. With trust in our government at historic lows, it’s in the interest of all Americans to help earn that trust back.
Here’s one way to do that. We call on all actors – candidates, the media, public officials, and our fellow citizens – to respect the outcome of the elections. If there are questions, then the legal pathways to ensure every eligible vote is properly counted should be utilized. Candidates should properly exercise their legal rights to ensure this occurs but there should be no excuse for refusal to accept legitimate results or knowingly eroding trust in our elections.
Just as Americans for Prosperity called on all public officials to respect the democratic process in September of 2020, we reiterate those sentiments today.
- Every vote should count. Public officials are duty bound to ensure that every eligible citizen who wants to vote can and that every properly cast ballot is counted.
- A central responsibility of government is holding free and fair elections. American voters need to feel confident in the legitimacy of the elections, that candidates will respect the results, and that power will transfer peacefully.
- Any and all challenges to the results of an election should be done through the appropriate legal processes in a way that is respectful, follows the law, and upholds the integrity of the election.
- Free speech and association are inalienable rights and critical for free and fair elections. Violence is not free speech. Leaders should de-escalate rather than encourage violence.
We urge every American to exercise patience, calm, and respect for the process as every vote is counted and the results are duly certified. We also urge transparency and efficiency in that process, which are key to increasing public trust in the outcome.
While our politics can feel toxic and divisive at times, we remind ourselves of our Founders’ wisdom in putting the true power in the hands of We the People. That’s why America is so resilient. As long as we continue to preserve our foundational freedoms, America will always be the beacon of hope and prosperity for the rest of the world.
