Our democracy is under attack — but not only by foreign adversaries.
Sadly, those attempting to erode the foundations of this great nation are Americans — in both political parties — who sow discord, deliver distrust and peddle disinformation about our elections for the sake of advancing a political candidate or agenda.
This is not a new threat, especially here in Georgia.
After the 2018 gubernatorial election in which Secretary of State Brian Kemp bested Georgia House Minority Leader Stacey Abrams at the ballot box, Abrams accused the governor-elect of “rigging” the election for his benefit and refused to concede the election.
Years later, Georgia was again thrust into the spotlight when President Donald Trump came up nearly 12,000 votes short in the Peach State. Even after a litany of recounts, hand recounts, legal maneuvers and countless PR stunts, Joe Biden was declared the winner, setting into motion years of fighting over “election security.”
Though the 2018 and 2020 elections are long gone, the proliferation of misinformation continues. For hardworking Georgians — who are more concerned with putting food on the table than researching the latest manufactured controversy — it’s hard to tell what’s real and what’s a ridiculous lie.
For politicians on both sides of the aisle, there are political consequences for truth-telling when it bucks the party line. The same disincentives exist for media, social media influencers and political organizations. To put it sharply, courage is in short supply while political ambition and greed are in clear abundance.
Understanding the sad, sobering reality and the detrimental impact of inaction, we, as former elected officials in Georgia, launched an organization last month to defend the transparency, safety, security and validity of our state’s elections process and our nation’s electoral system.
Though confidence in our democracy has reached an all-time low, the Democracy Defense Project (DDP) will work to bolster faith in the integrity of our elections system. Designed to serve as a counterweight to attempts to undermine election integrity, Democracy Defense Project’s board members, who jointly penned this guest essay, will speak up publicly to defend those who have sworn to uphold the rule of law.
To reach Georgians from all walks of life, the Democracy Defense Project will use earned and paid media to raise awareness of efforts to subvert elections and help move our state beyond polarizing rhetoric.
The Georgia board members are part of a national effort, with a specific focus on battleground states where the possibility of challenges to federal elections may arise.
Though many of us don’t agree on the prevailing issues of the day, we are willing to put aside our political differences and party labels for the greater good.
The Democracy Defense Project will simply be calling “balls and strikes” on the field of play where no umpires exist, but we expect pushback from those in our respective political parties. Let’s be very clear: This initiative is not about a political candidate, political party or political agenda. This is infinitely more important than all those things combined. Our mission is to seek and amplify truth, defend and preserve the democratic process, and ensure that generations to come can think critically and choose leadership wisely. This goes beyond the November election. We are looking decades into the future.
Earlier this month, we celebrated America’s independence from the tyranny of Great Britain. We now must remember what makes this country great: The U.S. Constitution, the peaceful transition of power, a government of “We the People.”
We must also remember that the free and fair elections we enjoy today were made possible by countless American patriots who were willing to sacrifice their lives for our democracy. It is our sacred duty to preserve what they paid the ultimate price to secure.
This is a pivotal moment for our nation that requires unprecedented action. Our movement will help to restore and reinforce the pillars of democracy so generations to come can be blessed to live in a place where truth exists, opportunity abounds and freedom prevails.
Nathan Deal, a Republican, was governor from 2011 to 2019 and served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1993 to 2010 and the Georgia Senate from 1981 to 1993.
Roy Barnes, a Democrat, was governor of Georgia from 1999 to 2003 and served in the Georgia House of Representatives from 1992 to1998 in the Georgia Senate from 1974 to 1990.
Saxby Chambliss, a Republican, represented Georgia in the U.S. Senate from 2003 to 2015 and the U.S. House of Representatives from 1995 to 2003.
Shirley Franklin, a Democrat, was mayor of Atlanta from 2002 to 2010.
