August 8, 2022
The Honorable Lindsey Graham
Unite States Senate
290 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Dear Senator Graham,
On behalf of our chamber and businesses across the nation, thank you for co-sponsoring the Electoral Count Reform Act of 2022.
Your bi-partisan negotiations and final bill demonstrates that the Senate can address critical problems and develop solutions if both parties have the will.
Protecting our democracy is a top priority of small business owners. They know that there can be no vibrant entrepreneurial economy without a strong democracy. One only needs to look at the weak economies of autocratic nations for proof.
Modernizing the Electoral Count Act to address the 1887 Act’s ambiguities regarding the federal role in selecting the President and Vice President is clearly necessary. The now widely recognized undemocratic efforts to deny the American voters’ Constitutional right to choose their leaders must never be allowed to happen again.
As the Senate debate develops on your bill, we reserve the right to offer amended language needed to specifically address bad state actors. Correcting Congress’s role in handling state electors is very important. However, making sure that the states submit electors that accurately reflect the wishes of their voters is probably even more important. Congress should not certify state electors if those electors result from state legislatures overriding their voters’ decisions.
Additionally, reforming the Electoral Count Act is but one leg of the three-legged stool needed for a solid and stable foundation for our democracy. Congress must also pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the Freedom to Vote Act. All three pieces of federal legislation are essential to protect our democracy.
Again, thank you for your work on the Electoral Count Act Reform of 2022.
Sincerely,
Frank Knapp Jr.
President & CEO, South Carolina Small Business Chamber of Commerce
Director, Business for Democracy, American Sustainable Business Network