The last few election cycles haven’t just raised eyebrows, they’ve raised alarms. Americans witnessed chaos at the ballot box, confusion in the courts, and contradictions in the media. Thankfully, state leaders have stepped up with new resolve to restore confidence and protect the foundation of American self-government.
From defending the Electoral College to rejecting ranked choice voting and ensuring only citizens can vote, state lawmakers have stood firm for constitutional clarity and citizen-led government. They’re not chasing headlines, they’re focused on protecting the integrity of the republic.
This isn’t a partisan response; it’s a patriotic one. State legislators represent communities, rural and urban, red and blue, and they all understand a basic truth: America only works if our elections do. When constituents lose trust in the process, it’s time for action. (RELATED: NELSON And RUCKER: States Are Chomping At The Bit To Overhaul America’s Broken Education System)
Elections are about more than counting ballots—they’re about preserving the American Dream. The ballot box is where free people shape their future. If we lose faith in that process, we lose faith in the outcome, and that is the first step toward losing faith in the republic.
The only choice is to advance clear, constitutional, common-sense reforms to rebuild trust from the ground up. That’s why state legislators with the American Legislative Exchange Council have just launched a new Task Force on Process and Procedures to develop trusted policy solutions to ensure elections work for the American people.
This Task Force will not stop with elections, it will tackle the places where the rules of the game could change the outcome. It will work to modernize and streamline government to fit the challenges of the moment while holding true to the Framers’ values as we approach America’s 250th birthday celebration on July 4, 2026.
Recent polling shows 75% support requiring photo ID to vote and 84% want states to routinely remove deceased, relocated, or non-citizens from the voter rolls. These ideas are neither radical nor partisan. They respect the Constitution. And they place decision-making back where the founders intended, in the hands of the states.
Our business community should pay close attention. For too long, major corporations caved to activist pressure and strayed from principle. They issued public statements driven more by fear than by facts. It was a crisis of leadership and a loss of purpose.
But the tide is turning. Business leaders are refocused on serving customers, shareholders, and the enduring values that built American prosperity. As the country refocuses on the integrity of the vote and government efficiency, there’s room at the table for every principled voice.
Critics will promote familiar sob stories. The same critics who denounced Georgia’s 2021 election reforms as “voter suppression” only to watch record-high turnout prove them wrong. The narrative collapsed, but the facts remained. Stronger safeguards did not keep voters away; they brought them out.
Because the truth is simple: transparency isn’t suppression. Security isn’t exclusion. Citizenship standards aren’t barriers, they are guarantees. When every vote is legal and every process accountable, the system works.
And make no mistake, the stakes are enormous. While cities like New York attempt to grant non-citizens the right to vote, states like West Virginia are enacting sweeping reforms to hold the line for a citizen-led democracy. The contrast is sharp. The choice is urgent.
This moment calls for clarity, courage, and leadership on behalf of the next generation. States have the power, and the responsibility, to act. Because a government of the people cannot function without elections and a government the people trust. Thankfully, principled state legislators are answering the call.
West Virginia Senator Patricia Rucker is the 2025 National Chair of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).
Lisa B. Nelson is Chief Executive Officer of ALEC.
The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of the Daily Caller News Foundation.
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