Americans ‘deserve to know’ the election was legitimate: Gingrich
Newt Gingrich reacts to whistleblower allegations of election fraud on ‘America’s Newsroom.’
The foundation of America is faltering and must be restored. Our government of the people, by the people and for the people must be just that.
The cornerstone of our republic is a free and fair election process. The voters get to decide who goes to the state capital or to our nation’s capital to conduct the business of our government. In a free and fair election, even when your candidate loses you have the foundational belief that the system itself is sound.
This year our faith in elections has been broken. It is imperative that it be restored as quickly as possible.
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More than 40% of voters nationally don't believe the 2020 election was legitimate, according to a poll of 1,500 U.S. voters carried out Nov. 21-25 that was sponsored by The Economist and conducted by YouGov.
While President Trump and his legal team are working their way through the court system (as Democratic presidential nominee Al Gore did in 2000), our home state of Georgia can help Americans restore their faith in our election process. This opportunity comes during the Jan. 5 run-off elections for the U.S. Senate.
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And it is fitting that Georgians are playing a key role in these elections, which could determine which party controls the Senate. The citizens of Georgia have an even more fragile view of the nation’s election integrity. According to a Trafalgar Group poll conducted last week, when Georgia voters were asked if the presidential election was compromised enough to have changed the outcome, 53% said “yes,” 38% said “no,” and 9% were unsure.
This lack of faith is unacceptable. We must have elections that provide transparency and accountability and are perceived as free and fair if we are to restore our belief in our republic.
Attorneys L. Lin Wood Jr. and Sidney Powell have filed lawsuits in Georgia regarding November’s general election processes and results. This past Friday, President Trump’s legal team filed a lawsuit on behalf of Trump and David Shafer, chairman of the Georgia Republican Party — a Georgia voter and potential Republican elector.
“Our lawsuit does not rely on theories about the voting machines,” tweeted Shafer. “These theories will be explored in other lawsuits. Instead, we painstakingly show thousands of examples of ‘low tech’ voting irregularities and fraud sufficient in scale to place the election result in doubt.”
While these legal cases work their way through the courts, our state elected officials must ensure that the Jan. 5 run-off elections are conducted in a way that restores faith in our election system.
While some might argue that there was no election fraud in the general election, the voters in Georgia do not have faith in the integrity of the results. So the question becomes: how can this faith be restored?
In Georgia, the state Legislature passes election laws, and the secretary of state enforces those laws. Though the state Legislature is not scheduled to meet in regular session until after the run-offs, it can meet in a special legislative session if Gov. Brian Kemp calls for one.
The leadership of the Georgia state Legislature is interested in ensuring election integrity in the run-off elections. Last week, the Georgia Senate Government Oversight Committee met to evaluate the election process, and the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee met to listen to election impropriety claims.
Georgia House Speaker David Ralston, a Republican, has announced House committee meetings this coming week.
“I’m asking [House Governmental Affairs Committee] Chairman [Shaw] Blackmon and his committee to act swiftly and aggressively and follow the facts wherever they may lead so as to reassure Georgia voters their vote will count in January,” Ralston said.
The challenges are great, and timing is tight. Early voting begins Monday. Though the outcome of the elections is unclear, the will of the voters is clear: A special session must be called, and election integrity must be ensured, no matter the challenges.
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Pollster John McLaughlin asked Georgia voters: “Do you approve or disapprove of Gov. Brian Kemp calling a special session of the Georgia State Legislature to require signature verification for every mail-in ballot for the Jan. 5 run-off election?”
More than half (58%) of respondents said they approve, while 38% disapprove, according to the poll, which was conducted from Nov. 21-24.
While it might be easier to address this in the normal legislative session, time constraints do not allow that.
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The right thing to do is for Gov. Kemp, a Republican, to call a special session. Let’s give him the support he needs to take this necessary step.
There is no alternative if we are to restore our republic’s foundation.
To read, hear, and watch more of Newt Gingrich’s commentary, visit Gingrich360.com.
Jackie Cushman is a nationally syndicated columnist for Creators Syndicate and an author who focuses on politics, business, faith, and American culture. Her most recent book is “Our Broken America: Why Both Sides Need to Stop Ranting and Start Listening.” Cushman is the daughter of former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., and a Georgia voter.
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