We need to do more.

In 2022 and 2024 we will face what will be the greatest challenges and opportunities in terms of elections that we might ever live to see.

At the onset of every election season, each side proclaims “this is the most important election of our time!” And while you might attribute some of that tone to political rhetoric, I’d argue that it was likely an honest sentiment in nearly every case. During every even-numbered year, each party positions itself to win the contests of most strategic importance to make a more permanent mark on the political canvas. The result is a sort of social/political pendulum with each swing becoming more eccentric and more worrisome to the opposing team.

But what would happen if the pendulum did not swing back? What if one party had fixed political physics in such a way that the pendulum never experienced perfect equilibrium again?

If we don’t retake Congress in 2022 and the Presidency in ’24 we may experience that very phenomenon.

Sweeping changes to election law, packing the Supreme Court, ignoring the border, failure to prosecute seemingly obvious crimes while using Federal agencies to punish citizens without due process are just some of the horrors we can expect to continue if we do not send the pendulum back to the right and do so with vigor.

So, how do we win? Voting alone will not be enough. If you truly care about this country, what it stands for, and all who have fought to preserve it, you’ve got some work to do. You will need to be an evangelist. You will need to go to your neighbors, coworkers, and friends at church and talk to them about the election. It will be uncomfortable, but it is so very necessary. You need to make sure that they understand what is at risk. You should get to know some of the candidates and what they stand for, what they have done for their communities and why they think you should vote for them. When you find one or two that you appreciate, you should do what you can to help them. Money always helps, but volunteers are perhaps more needed than ever.

Finally, I would ask that you appeal to your County Clerk and Party Chairperson to become an Election Judge. In the 2020 election, there was a great deal of discussion about potential fraud. Regardless of whether you believe it happened at all or happened everywhere, there is no one better positioned to prevent that than the Election Judge. As an EJ, you have the power to intervene if there is something amiss. When you get right down to it, on Election Day, it is the EJs that run the election. Making sure your party is properly represented by well-trained, attentive judges is the best protection for a fair election.