A leftist activist said election officials should threaten those who refuse to certify election results with “consequences” like “criminal charges” or “losing your job” in a webinar Tuesday.
“We recommend stressing that anyone who tries to mess with this process or undermine our democracy will fail, and that they will or can face consequences,” said Lizzie Ulmer, senior vice president of strategy and communications at the left-wing States United Democracy Center. “As we’ve seen in a number of the states where this has happened, those consequences can include losing your job or even facing criminal charges.”
Ulmer joined Jon Miller, chief program officer for the leftist Public Rights Project, in a webinar called “Election Certification Messaging for Local Election Officials.” Miller said the two would focus on “messaging strategies” for local election officials to “debunk misinformation” when speaking to the public and media, especially about election certification.
“Folks pushing to block certification want to sow doubt about our fair and secure elections… It’s really important to often include accountability, that these efforts fail, and that there are consequences that people face. Again, depending on the circumstance that may or may not be the right fit,” Ulmer said. “The accountability framing shows that there are very serious consequences for when you seek to undermine that process.”
County canvassers review and certify the results of each election. Canvassing helps officials “resolve discrepancies, correct errors, and take any remedial actions necessary to ensure completeness and accuracy before certifying the election.” But since 2020,
