Voters decide elections, not the candidates, says bipartisan National Council on Election Integrity

The bipartisan National Council on Election Integrity — a group of more than 40 former elected officials, former Cabinet secretaries, retired military officials, and civic leaders — issued the following statement in the wake of the preliminary returns from the 2020 election: 

“It’s still too early for any presidential candidate to declare victory. Election officials are still counting the votes across the country, including in multiple battleground states that remain too close to call. This is our lawful process working itself out. 

“No candidate gets to decide who won the election. The voters do. The candidates are players, not the referees. We should all continue to be patient while the constitutional process unfolds. Keep counting the votes.”

The full list of members of the National Council on Election Integrity — which includes an equal number of Republicans and Democrats, as well as several retired military leaders and heads of civic organizations — is as follows:

1. former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright 
2. former Rep. Charles Boustany (R-LA)
3. former Amb. Carol Moseley Braun (D-IL)
4. former Democratic National Committee Chair Donna Brazile
5. former Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan (D-MO) 
6. retired Gen. James Cartwright, former vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
7. former Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff
8. former Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats (R-IN) 
9. former Rep. Barbara Comstock (R-VA)
10. former Rep. Carlos Curbelo (R-FL)
11. former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-SD)
12. former Rep. Donna Edwards (D-MD)
13. former Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI), president of the American Constitution Society
14. former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN)
15. former House Majority Leader Dick Gephardt (D-MO)
16. former Kentucky Secretary of State Trey Grayson (R-KY) 
17. former Rep. Steve Gunderson (R-WI)
18. former Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel (R-NE)
19. former Rep. Lee Hamilton (D-IN)
20. former Rep. Jane Harman (D-CA)
21. former Gov. Bill Haslam (R-TN) 
22. former Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA)
23. National Vote At Home Institute CEO Amber McReynolds
24. former Secretary of Transportation Norm Mineta (D-CA)
25. former Rep. Susan Molinari (R-NY)
26. former Amb. Connie Morella (R-MD), co-chair of Issue One’s ReFormers Caucus
27. National Urban League President and CEO Marc Morial
28. UnidosUS President and CEO Janet Murguía
29. Dr. Lori Esposito Murray, president of the Committee for Economic Development
30. former Rep. Sue Myrick (R-NC)
31. former Rep. David Obey (D-WI)
32. retired Adm. Bill Owens, former vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
33. former Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta (D-CA)
34. former Rep. Deborah Pryce (R-OH)
35. former Rep. Jim Renacci (R-OH)
36. former Rep. Reid Ribble (R-WI)
37. former Gov. Tom Ridge (R-PA), former Secretary of Homeland Security
38. former Amb. Tim Roemer (D-IN), co-chair of Issue One’s ReFormers Caucus
39. retired Adm. Michael Rogers, former director of the National Security Agency
40. former Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar (D-CO)
41. former Republican National Committee Chair Michael Steele
42. former Rep. Zach Wamp (R-TN), co-chair of Issue One’s ReFormers Caucus
43. former Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA)
44. former Sen. Tim Wirth (D-CO)

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. The National Council on Election Integrity is sponsoring the Count Every Vote campaign to ensure that every American’s vote is counted.