Five years ago, in the wake of the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, America’s civic institutions pledged to do more to defend our system of fair and free elections. Major philanthropies increased their investments in programs that defend democracy. Law firms expanded their pro bono election-protection work. University presidents publicly condemned the effort to thwart the will of American voters. Many of the country’s largest businesses pledged to stop donating to candidates who had tried to overturn an election.
Today, our elections are again under attack. But while some institutions have maintained their commitment to defending democracy, far too many have retreated.
There are fewer than 100 days until the 2026 nationwide elections. Now is the time for everyone to protect the system of fair and free elections upon which our society and prosperity ultimately depend.
Together, the two of us have spent considerable time in all the major sectors of American society: philanthropy, business, academia, and the law. We understand that leaders in these sectors fear government retribution, and understandably so. But with the integrity of our elections under enormous strain—and with government officials signaling that more aggressive attacks may follow—it is time for all institutions to reaffirm their role as defenders of the free and fair elections at the heart of American democracy.
Defending our democracy begins with a clear-eyed assessment of the threats to it. Over the past 18 months, the Justice Department has disbanded government agencies meant to protect elections from foreign interference and to help states administer them smoothly. President Donald Trump has repeatedly made false claims that the 2020 election was fraudulent and made new ones—without evidence—about the midterms. Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin recently threatened to jail local election officials his department finds were insufficiently responsive to the federal government’s unproven claims of fraud. Overall, the federal government has tried to wrest control of elections from the states, with courts repeatedly finding such efforts illegal.
Now, experts across the country are deeply concerned about what might occur in the coming months, whether it’s false allegations that cast doubt on individual races, state officials refusing to certify election results as required by law, or baseless efforts to block House members from taking their seats in January.
The good news is the success of these efforts to undermine the midterms is not inevitable. To the contrary, enormous work has already been done to protect the integrity of November’s election from those who would undermine it.
Now, it is time for leaders who haven’t yet joined that effort to get off the sidelines no matter what their politics are. Losing our system of fair and free elections would not just affect one element of American life. It would affect all elements of American life.
There are many ways for institutions to meet the moment and keep our country’s elections free and fair. First, many leaders, particularly those from the business community, meet regularly with members of the executive branch and Congress. They should use these relationships to remind elected officials of the need to respect election results no matter who wins or loses.
These nonpartisan principles are the basic preconditions for a functioning democracy and should be respected by all.
Second, many institutional leaders have strong ties to state and local officials. Now is the time to remind state legislators that attempting to disenfranchise eligible voters via last-minute changes to election rules, baseless claims of fraud, or partisan attempts to deny certification harm our democracy and create the kind of turmoil that negatively affects a state’s reputation and business climate.
Third, leaders should forcefully support the local election administrators who run our elections. These are not professional politicians. They are our neighbors, co-workers, and friends—and recently, they have far too often been subject to threats and harassment by those who wish to undermine their nonpartisan mission. Institutional leaders can help elections run smoothly by encouraging their employees to become poll workers, and by supporting nonpartisan civic organizations that defend election officials in performing their duties, or that bring Americans from across the political spectrum together to support the right of all Americans to have their vote counted.
Standing up for fair and free elections is not without risk. But with the foundation of our democracy under unprecedented assault and our basic rights on the line, the far greater risk is ignoring the threat to our country until it is too late.
One day, leaders of America’s institutions will face the same profound question as every other citizen who loves this country. Future generations will ask, “Where were you when the stakes were highest?”
