Issue One responds to Rep. Stefanik’s “anti-democratic,” “dangerous” comments regarding 2020 election

In response to inaccurate comments made last night by Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) regarding the 2020 presidential election and the role of the vice president when counting the electoral votes, Issue One Founder and CEO Nick Penniman issued the following statement:

“As a Harvard graduate, Elise Stefanik should know that the role of the vice president is purely ministerial when Congress gathers every four years to count the electoral votes following a presidential election. The constitution does not grant a vice president the right to unilaterally reject a state’s electors, nor does it give them the authority to disregard or even overturn the will of the voters.

“By Stefanik’s own logic, Vice President Kamala Harris has the power to throw out a slate of electors and decide the outcome of the election herself. This is the same anti-democratic sentiment the nation witnessed on January 6, 2021, when our democracy was pushed to the brink. It is dangerous, and it is wrong. That’s why both parties came together during the last Congress to overwhelmingly pass the Electoral Count Reform Act to remove any doubt that in America, elections are decided by the people, not politicians.

“Republicans and Democrats must resist these authoritarian impulses and work together to protect our elections and the will of the voters.”