New Report Details the Myths and Facts of the 2020 Election
Published: 1.14.21
New Report Details the Myths and Facts of the 2020 Election
As Congress Considers Impeachment and State Legislatures Across the Country Head Into Session, the VPP Report Debunks the Myths that Fuel Conspiracies Around the 2020 Election
Washington, D.C. — During the November 2020 election season, a deluge of at least 60 meritless lawsuits were filed in federal and state courts across the country challenging the results and integrity of the election. None of these cases were successful in changing the results of the election. The lawsuits lacked any basis in fact or law but nevertheless helped convince many Americans that the election was stolen. Unfortunately, the myths these lawsuits perpetuated contributed to the tragic events of January 6, 2021, and continue to hold sway with a distressing number of people and elected officials.
Today, the Voter Protection Program released a report, “Countering Lies about the 2020 Presidential Election,” which examines election cases in key battleground states and debunks the false claims that helped fuel the conspiracies that incited a violent mob to attack the U.S. Capitol. This in-depth analysis refutes each election myth, state by state and case by case.
Joanna Lydgate, National Director of the Voter Protection Program, said, “The mob that violently attacked the U.S. Capitol did not come out of nowhere. It was born of lies pedaled everywhere from Twitter feeds to rallies to the barrage of bad-faith litigation whose sole purpose was to keep election conspiracies alive. More than 100 members of Congress objected to the certification of our free and fair election, and there is another wave of mischief coming in the form of bogus investigations in state legislatures, based on conspiracy theories that have been disproved over and over. This VPP report exposes the myths manufactured to divide America and reinforces the strength of our democratic process.”
The VPP report comes as Congress considers impeachment of the President for the second time for his role in inciting the violent attack on the Capitol building during the Joint Session of Congress to certify the Electoral College vote. Additionally, a number of state legislatures are preparing to rehash these already debunked claims by conducting months long sham investigative hearings and preparing to introduce bills to suppress the vote.
Governor Christine Todd Whitman, former two-term Governor of New Jersey and Voter Protection Program Advisory Board member said, “As we saw firsthand last week, spreading false claims about election integrity is not only irresponsible–it is dangerous and incites individuals and groups to commit violence. We hope this report will restore public trust in our election process and thwart any attempts to repackage these election lies in statehouses across the country.”
The Voter Protection Program advances strategies and recommendations to protect the integrity of the election and the will of the American people, with a specific focus on the unique tools available to state attorneys general, governors, secretaries of state, and law enforcement officials.
If you would like additional details about the report or to speak with state leaders and experts with the Voter Protection Project, please reach out to Asha Merz, asha.merz@berlinrosen.com.
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About the Voter Protection Program
The Voter Protection Program is a nonpartisan initiative of the Progressive State Leaders Committee, a 501(c)(4) organization. Visit https://statesuniteddemocracy.org/about/ for more information.