Bipartisan National Council on Election Integrity launches $400,000 ad buy addressing the recent assault on our democracy and the path forward 

In response to the assault on the U.S. Capitol on January 6 and in advance of the inauguration on January 20, the bipartisan National Council on Election Integrity has today launched a new $400,000 digital ad buy that says “it’s time to imagine a new path forward.” 

The ads link to a statement from the council calling for Americans to repair our wounded democracy and create a political system that works for everyone. This statement anchors a new one-week digital ad buy, which includes ads on the websites of the Washington Post, New York Times, Politico, Axios, The Hill, and other media outlets. The ad buy also includes a full-page ad in Politico on Inauguration Day, January 20.

The council — which is a project of Issue One and is composed of more than 40 former elected officials, former Cabinet secretaries, retired military officials, and civic leaders — also called for accountability and stated:  

“We just witnessed one of the darkest days in the history of our country. This malicious assault on our democracy did not occur by accident. It happened because President Trump, enabled by some leaders in Congress and members of the media, manufactured a crisis. The conspiracy theories they stoked convinced throngs of Americans that the presidential election was rigged, when it was, in fact, free, fair, transparent, and secure. All those who encouraged and participated in the January 6, 2021, insurrection, including President Trump, must be held accountable. 

“Thankfully, our democratic republic prevailed,” the statement from the council continues. 

Moving forward, the National Council on Election Integrity and Issue One will urge Congress to work with election officials, especially those at the local level, to make improvements to our election systems, such as giving election administrators more time to process absentee ballots and giving election officials more resources. The council will also urge Congress to seize the moment and enact other bold reforms critical to strengthening our democratic republic, the foundations of which have been under strain for many years. 

“We must now take action together to restore faith in our institutions, reunite as Americans, put our country above our party, and renew our commitment to civil government. It’s time to imagine a new path forward. Join us,” the National Council on Election Integrity’s statement concludes.

The full statement reads: 

“We just witnessed one of the darkest days in the history of our country.

“This malicious assault on our democracy did not occur by accident. It happened because President Trump, enabled by some leaders in Congress and members of the media, manufactured a crisis. The conspiracy theories they stoked convinced throngs of Americans that the presidential election was rigged, when it was, in fact, free, fair, transparent, and secure. All those who encouraged and participated in the January 6, 2021, insurrection, including President Trump, must be held accountable.

“Thankfully, our democratic republic prevailed last week and throughout the 2020 elections.

“Though heavily stressed by the pandemic and by false allegations by some political leaders, our elections were successful. In more than 60 legal cases, courts across the country — including judges appointed by President Trump — heard and roundly rejected baseless challenges to the 2020 elections.

“In fact, the Department of Homeland Security found the 2020 elections to be the most secure in our nation’s history. Trump Attorney General William Barr also said there was no basis for the president’s false claims.

“We applaud all the arduous work performed by state government, local officials and volunteers to safeguard and ensure our elections were fair and accurate. Our citizens performing their patriotic duties were critical to this success. 

“But no election is perfect. There are lessons to be learned and improvements to be made, such as states taking more time prior to election day to process ballots so they can be counted in a timely fashion. We must create national standards and best practices. And, we must give the federal Election Assistance Commission more resources to assist local election officials. Future elections should not rely on private philanthropy, as the 2020 elections did, to be safe and secure.

“On January 20, the United States will inaugurate a new president and vice president — leaders who were duly chosen by the American people when they cast a record number of ballots on November 3 amid a deadly global pandemic.

“The fact is, threats to our democracy remain. And while we are divided as a nation, our history shows that, when we can come together in times of crisis, we prevail.

“We must now take action together to restore faith in our institutions, reunite as Americans, put our country above our party, and renew our commitment to civil government. It’s time to imagine a new path forward. Join us.”

The National Council on Election Integrity — a bipartisan group of more than 40 government, political, and civic leaders who are devoted to defending the legitimacy of our elections — is a project of Issue One. See the full list of members of the National Council on Election Security.