Fulton County Ohio Media

“This is the most important election in our lifetime,” said many people many times for as long as we have been a country.  This hyperbolic statement is heard at least every four years and sometimes, like this year, in between presidential elections.  There are always major issues to consider and which party or which candidate you believe offers the best solutions to America’s problems.

This election differs only in that it presents us with modified versions of the usual suspects; the economy, taxes, equal rights, immigration, the national debt, health care, abortion and foreign policy among the most debated.  Except for one. 

There is one issue that, at times, will be given some attention and occasional credibility, just not usually at the national level, until recently.  Election integrity.  Elections and election integrity are the foundation of our democracy.  If the integrity of the election of the highest office in the land is lost, our democracy is lost with it. 

We heard the integrity of our election system loudly questioned by Donald J. Trump during the Republican primaries of 2015 then viciously attacked it in the subsequent presidential election when he was sure he would lose to Hillary Clinton.  Even when he won by way of the Electoral College, Trump screamed election fraud because he had approximately seven million fewer votes than Hillary in the general election.

Donald sang this song for the next four years, into the election of 2020 with most of his Republican colleagues, seeing how effective it was, singing along with him.  Despite providing no evidence at any time, not just in the 60 plus court cases he lost claiming he actually won the election. 

But it has become a means to an end.  Election denialism has proved to be so effective for many candidates running in the Republican primaries for the 2022 midterm elections, we are now facing the prospect of putting these deniers in positions of authority to control the outcome of future elections.  Ironically, they claim they just want to return integrity to our election system, to make it fair.  In other words, it will only be fair if they win.

That is why I believe, with all the issues voters disagree on what the best course of action is to solve, giving politicians full control over election outcomes has the most potential to irreparably damage and eventually end our democracy.  If these election deniers get into office, regardless of the party, we may never get them or their kind out. 

All that being said, this may truly be the most important election in our lifetime.  Please vote in this election while your vote still counts and to ensure it will count in the future.