Sign up to receive your twice weekly newsletter

 
A-
A+
A

Op-Ed: Rep. Mike Bost: Election integrity matters more than ever

By: Rep. Mike Bost

When Benjamin Franklin was asked what kind of government the Constitutional Convention had created, his response became legend: “A republic, if you can keep it.” His words, spoken over two centuries ago, still ring true today. The survival of our system of government rests on the trust in, and integrity of, our elections.

Throughout our nation’s history, there have been fateful moments when the security and integrity of our elections were called into question — defining moments that shifted the course of America. In 1876, our country was thrown into chaos due to a dispute over electoral votes in one of our closest presidential races ever. It took a special electoral commission and a compromise on post-Civil War era Reconstruction to resolve the crisis, but public confidence in the election process was deeply shaken.

More recently, in the election of 2000, an incredibly tight race in Florida between George W. Bush and Al Gore — along with disputes over the ever-remembered “hanging chads” — delayed election results for weeks.

Now, in the age of social media and 24-hour news, we are potentially facing an election result that’s closer than ever. With that comes significant challenges, especially at a time when many Americans already distrust the process. I believe it’s mission critical to do absolutely everything possible to earn back the trust of the American people before the polls close on November 5.

That’s why I voted for the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act. This legislation would ensure that anyone registering to vote must verify their U.S. citizenship in person, whether at the DMV, a voter registration agency, or by mail. It would mandate that states clean up their voter rolls by removing the names of any non-citizens. And it would empower citizens to sue election officials who do not enforce these safeguards.

In an age when we are facing a record number of encounters with illegal immigrants trying to cross into our country, this bill couldn’t be more important.

For those of us who grew up here in Illinois, election security hits close to home. We’re all too familiar with stories of voter fraud, rigged results, and precinct turnout numbers that just don’t add up. The SAVE Act would go a long way in shoring up the system and giving legal American citizens the peace of mind in knowing their vote will not be canceled out by someone voting illegally.

It looked like Congress was on the right track earlier this year when the SAVE Act passed the House with bipartisan support. However, it stalled in the Democrat-controlled Senate. In September, House conservatives fought to include the SAVE Act in a government funding bill that passed the House just before Congress adjourned for the final sprint to Election Day. Sadly, nearly every House Democrat opposed it and the push for the SAVE Act fizzled. For that reason, I voted against the spending compromise. To me, election integrity is just that important.

We’re now just days away from the most important election of our lifetimes. The 2024 election is a fork in the road that will determine the course of America for years to come. And when we had the chance to make the election more secure, the People’s House failed the people. It’s frustrating, but it’s not the end of the road. These are going to be issues that will be focused on intently moving forward. Illegal immigration is the most important issue for many Americans. Cyberattacks targeting U.S. elections are more sophisticated than ever. Just last year, multiple federal agencies warned of potential vulnerabilities in state voting systems.

Regardless of whether you’re a Republican, a Democrat, or an independent-minded voter, I have no doubt most of us want the same thing. We want to know that our vote counts and that our system is safe. We must keep fighting for secure, transparent, and trustworthy elections because, as Franklin warned, our republic depends on our ability to keep it.

Rep. Mike Bost represents Illinois’s 12th District in Congress. He chairs the House’s Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

Keep getting content like this delivered straight to your inbox!
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Mobile Opt-In
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Subscribe