"On the first anniversary of the attack on the U.S. Capitol, I’m alarmed and deeply disturbed by the ongoing spread of toxic disinformation about our election system. It’s the most dangerous threat to our democracy. Too many people have been misled by the deceptions of those with a political or financial motive to corrode confidence in our democracy.
As a result, this last year brought not just an act of domestic terrorism at the Capitol Building, but the passage of laws in several states that would take us backwards, and chip away at our freedom to vote. Meanwhile, foreign adversaries have not only cheered our disunity – but have actively encouraged it by helping to spread lies about our election system through multiple channels. It’s all so poisonous, and it needs to stop. I believe it will stop – if enough of us stand up to it.
There’s cause for hope. The 2020 election was a stress-test for democracy, and we passed the test. In Minnesota, despite a once-in-a-century pandemic, we were #1 in voter participation for the third time in a row – with nearly 80% of eligible Minnesotans demonstrating their trust in our election system by showing up to vote. Post-election audits and reviews confirmed the integrity of our process.
With the attack on the U.S. Capitol still a fresh wound, we need to defend democracy, protect the freedom to vote, and push back against disinformation about our elections. Part of that requires Congress to set minimum standards to safeguard our elections. But all of us can do our part to strengthen the well-earned confidence in our system – which is a model for the rest of the world. I believe we’ll succeed."