Carter Center Statement on the Integrity of the Upcoming U.S. Election

ATLANTA (Nov. 2, 2020) — U.S. citizens should be proud of the monumental efforts that have been made to prepare for the 2020 election, even in the face of a global pandemic and threats from malign actors, including foreign adversaries.

“The Carter Center has observed more than 100 elections around the world, some of them in quite challenging circumstances,” said the Carter Center’s CEO, Paige Alexander. “We are confident that these elections will reflect the will of the voters when all votes are counted. Allegations of potential rigging and widespread voter fraud are baseless, and they create the real and dangerous risk of undermining confidence in our democratic processes, inflaming tensions, and inciting violence.”

Nearly every U.S. state has put in place substantial changes to accommodate our new reality, most often by expanding absentee and early voting. In making these changes, election officials have benefitted from best practices already in place in states that have successful track records of using these inclusive methods of voting. Well-established and tested security procedures for these approaches should provide reassurance to voters.

Because of these efforts, most U.S. voters have a greater range of voting options than ever before, and more Americans are expected to vote than ever before.

These expanded options and the high turnout mean it may take longer to know the results. But the counting and tabulation processes are well-tested and well-determined by law, and they must be conducted transparently in the presence of representatives from all candidates. Voters have every reason to feel confident in them.

No election is perfect, and there may be isolated mistakes or incidents of fraud – as there are in every election conducted around the world. However, these incidents only call into question the integrity of the entire election if they occur in numbers greater than the margin of victory.

Whichever side wins, we should all demonstrate pride in our great tradition of both challengers and incumbents respecting the will of the voters.

Background: The Carter Center is not observing this election. We have, however, launched a public information campaign to increase public knowledge of election issues and are working with election officials to encourage them to make electoral processes as transparent as possible. Our expert study team is following the process closely and coordinating with other reputable nonpartisan and international organizations that are systematically observing the process. More about our efforts is available at www.cartercenter.org/vote.

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Contact: In Atlanta, Soyia Ellison, [email protected]

Waging Peace. Fighting Disease. Building Hope.
A not-for-profit, nongovernmental organization, The Carter Center has helped to improve life for people in over 80 countries by resolving conflicts; advancing democracy, human rights, and economic opportunity; preventing diseases; and improving mental health care. The Carter Center was founded in 1982 by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, in partnership with Emory University, to advance peace and health worldwide.