On the eve of the US presidential election, attorneys general from across the United States issued a joint statement on Monday, November 4th, urging voters to accept the election results peacefully.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong, Ohio Republican Attorney General Dave Yost, Oregon Democratic Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum, and Kansas Republican Attorney General Kris Kobach jointly called on voters to approach the election results with reason and non-violence, regardless of the outcome on November 5th.
“No matter the outcome of Tuesday’s election, we expect the American people to respond peacefully and condemn any violence related to the results,” the attorneys general stated in their joint declaration. “Peaceful transfer of power is the highest embodiment of the rule of law, a tradition that is core to maintaining stability in our nation. As attorneys general, we once again commit to protecting the safety of our communities and upholding the values of our democratic system.”
The attorneys general encouraged voters to express their opinions through voting and rational discourse while respecting the “integrity of the democratic process.”
The alliance stated, “Let us unite after the election, not divide over the results, and work together to advance the rule of law, ensuring the safety of all Americans. Violence has no place in the democratic process; we will use legal means to combat any unlawful actions that threaten democracy.”
They also acknowledged that post-election tensions or anxieties could arise, as indicated by polls.
According to a survey conducted by the Associated Press and the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research on October 28th, about 40% of respondents expressed “extreme” or “very” concern about someone attempting to overturn the election results by force. At the same time, approximately 30% of respondents expressed “extreme” or “very” concern about local or state officials attempting to obstruct the normal completion of the electoral process.
In the survey, approximately 90% of respondents agreed that the candidate who loses in this year’s presidential election should acknowledge their defeat after the completion of vote counts in each state and resolution of legal issues. Around 80% of Republican respondents supported this view.
Regarding potential post-election violent conflicts, the attorneys general called on the elected leaders to uphold public order, promote national unity, and remind Americans of the importance of civilized dialogue.
The original article titled “Bipartisan Coalition of Attorneys General Calls for Peaceful Response to Election Results” was published in the English edition of Epoch Times.