1. United States
2. N.D.
3. Letter

As we saw during the January 6th insurrection and subsequently, with Trump's ongoing almost daily verbal attacks on our electoral system, he will stop at nothing to interfere in our fair and free elections, doing whatever he can to steal the results. I do not believe we are safe from further illegal election interference or overthrow attempts by Trump and his allies. Nor do I see that enough has been done to limit possible future dangers and put effective protections in place. I ask all my state officials to consider the 7 measures advocated by Marc Elias of Democracy Docket to protect our elections and our votes. The seven safety measures are listed below. (I quote them from here: https://www.democracydocket.com/opinion/seven-voting-laws-every-blue-state-should-enact-right-now/ ) 1. Enact a statutory right to vote for every eligible citizen. While state constitutions typically include greater protection than federal, too often these rights are ill-defined or have been limited by past legal precedent. 2. Ban signature matching of mail-in ballots. Too many states use the junk science of signature matching to “validate” returned mail-in ballots. 3. Count all ballots postmarked by Election Day. States should count ballots mailed before or on Election Day, even if they arrive at the election office afterwards due to postal delays. Nineteen states already have such laws and every state should enact its own grace-period law. 4. Guarantee voters they will not have to wait more than 30 minutes in line. Long voting lines are a scourge in our election system. They disproportionately penalize voters who can least afford time off work. Long lines also dissuade voters from turning out and create a negative experience that affects future participation. Every state should guarantee that voters can cast a ballot in person without waiting more than 30 minutes. 5. Ban third-party voter challenges and other forms of vigilantism. No one should have their registration or right to vote challenged by a random stranger they do not know and have never met. Yet that is what is happening in too many places. Several Republican controlled states have built private voter databases used to encourage third-party activists and election vigilantes to submit spreadsheets of voters they want removed from the rolls or hassled at polling places. This practice should be banned and outlawed. 6. Provide criminal and civil remedies for voter intimidation. With each passing election, we see new forms of voter intimidation. Direct threats, online harassment, recording citizens dropping off ballots, or simply entering polling locations has become more routine. States need new laws that provide stronger protections against voter harassment and intimidation. These laws must allow for prompt civil and criminal remedies and cover a broad range of threats. Federal laws are no longer enough. 7. Revise and strengthen election-certification laws. Simply put, states must revise their certification process to make it harder to subvert. I request that you reply to let me know which of these protections are now in place and what you will do to legislate to bring in those protections not yet in effect? As we approach the special 250th year anniversary since 1776, our elections and our democracy are in extreme peril. State level protections are urgently needed. Honor the 250th by doing all you can to preserve our votes, the safety of our elections, and the future of US representative democracy. Please do all you can, as promptly as possible, to implement these measures. After all, how can a politician be effective if they do not hear from the constituents?