A few weeks ago, we closed the door on 2020. It seems like a lifetime ago! There was so much to take in as the routine procedures of certifying an election dragged across the annual divide and gave us all a granular view of the electoral system we normally take for granted. Who knew that the process of electing a president and vice president does not end on election night? Those of us who understood this also understood that the process would play out over the normal time required—from completing local vote counts to the state certifications to the Electoral College vote, culminating with the January 6 joint session of Congress during which the final results would be certified and accepted. As usual, the will of the people would prevail.
But on January 6, 2021—for the first time in our nation’s history—this laborious and careful process, despite counts and recounts that re-confirmed the victories of elected officials up and down ballot in several close states, was threatened. This time, all Americans were exposed to the arcane procedures of the Electoral College and the constitutional requirement to count the electoral votes for certification of the presidential election. Those confused by the facts of our electoral process, distrustful of that process, and egged on by purely political interests would reject the facts of the count and embrace the “facts” of a conspiracy fiction propagated by cult-like movements, social media, and, sadly, a few of our highest elected officials. We watched the riots on our televisions and computers as January 6 disintegrated into another day that will live in infamy.
As we discover more about the violent attempt to disrupt the work of our legislators and prevent a peaceful transfer of power, we can take solace in two positive realities of that day: First, only a few of the many Trump supporters participated in the insurrection. Second, members of the opposition stayed away. Despite the security mistakes and what appears to be a deliberate lack of response to put down the insurrection, we are fortunate that order was ultimately restored. Congress marched back into a defiled and debris-filled Capitol to complete its work. We can focus, with some hope, on their reply to the violence as we wait for the Senate to act on the Article of Impeachment that the House submitted on January 25. And impeachment is a fitting, necessary, response to the attack on our democracy. The League supports it as essential to ensure that any future attempt to overturn a free and fair election comes at a cost to those who participate.
As we speak, the League is poised to take advantage of the new Congress’s desire to address voting rights by establishing federal legislation that will make needed changes to our electoral systems across the land. Now is our opportunity to press forward on needed reforms! See what you can do to support the For the People Act. You can start by registering your support with your representative.
—Martha Y. Zavala
