In our system of ordered liberty, the power to govern is derived from the consent of the governed. In order for government in a free society to remain stable, the consent of the governed must necessarily include the consent of the losing side. Such consent is only possible when the losing side has full confidence that elections are truly free and fair and that their loss at the ballot box, even in a closely contested election, was legitimate and not the result of fraud.
Without the public’s full confidence that elections are free and fair, and that only legal ballots cast by eligible voters are counted in official election results, outcomes in close elections will always be suspect and the legitimacy of the government will be questioned by the party out of power. This is dangerous to the health of a free society.
In the interest of openness, transparency, unity, and legitimacy, government at all levels must ensure that elections are not only actually free and fair, but also perceived to be so by the public at large. This, then, is the simple and compelling rational for Governor Abbott’s prioritization of election integrity this legislative session and the reason it must be addressed seriously by patriots of both parties. For these reasons, Texas Action strongly encourages the 87th Legislature to pass reforms which will secure the integrity of our elections.