The long-standing practice of the election is the most important feature of a democracy. Without the freedom to elect our leader, we could suffer the turmoil of authoritarianism. However, the freedom to elect leaders who deny the results of an election that didn't go their way is more dangerous than many think. Of the almost 300 election deniers appearing on the ballot, over two-thirds of them either are expected to win or have a competitive race going. This predicted success suggests that many are tossing election denial to the backburner as a disagreement in point of view. However, the dangerous nature of such political beliefs will be revealed soon.
State governments have the power to regulate voter registration rules, fraud prevention, the ballot counting process and contest determination. Specifically, the secretary of state or governor is typically at the head of these processes. Many of these seats are up for grabs this midterm election. Keeping election deniers away from these positions is crucial to preserving democracy as we know it. Besides simply denying the validity of an election, they will now have or continue to have extended powers to create uncertainties surrounding elections. If they don't agree or like the outcome, they may call for recounts endless times, refuse to declare a winner or create unfair voting rules.
Wisconsin candidate for governor Tim Michels supported the sentiment that the 2020 election was stolen from Donald Trump through fraud. Michels has been receiving recent media attention after announcing that if he is elected governor, the Republican party "will never lose another election" in Wisconsin. He also did not answer when questioned if he would certify electoral votes declaring a Democrat's victory in his state. It is alarmingly apparent that Michels is a direct threat to democracy as he is competing against incumbent Tony Evers.
At the federal level, Congress has power in the election process as part of a checks and balances system. After the electoral votes are counted, Congress has the power to vote to object to the certification of any state. They may also go as far as filing lawsuits when they believe unconstitutionality has taken over an election. Hundreds of House and Senate seats are being contested by those who bought into the "big lie."
Locally, there are nine Ohioans running for Congress that aren't considered out of the race. Congressman Jim Jordan, who is favored to win the House seat for Ohio's 4th district, didn't hesitate to preach his thoughts about the 2020 election on social media. Jordan took his efforts so far as to engage in a "stop the steal" rally while simultaneously leading Congress' objections to the certification of the vote in states that went blue. Madison Gesiotto Gilbert, a candidate for Ohio's 13th district seat in the House, also spread falsity on Twitter, saying that Biden votes appeared in the middle of the night. The 2020 election was just an early display of the perils election deniers could impose by holding federal power during presidential elections to come.
The infamous partisanship of the United States would lead many to believe there is just about nothing both parties can agree on. The exception should be democracy. I hope that everyone uses their vote to, if nothing else, preserve our democracy.
Layne Rey is a freshman studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Want to talk more about it? Let Layne know by tweeting her @laynerey12.