The Republican National Committee’s Election Integrity Department is on a mission to educate the public about protecting the integrity of elections. “This should not be a partisan exercise,” said RNC Chairman Michael Whatley. “Democrats should absolutely agree with us that the sanctity of the ballot is important, and that cheating is bad.”
The “Protect the Vote” Tour recently stopped at the Great Falls International Airport, where concerned citizens gathered to learn about election safety and validity. “This is not a conspiracy theory. It’s not election denialism,” Whatley emphasized. “It’s about putting basic protections in place so that we have the comfort that the vote is going to count.”
A series of GOP representatives, including Montana GOP National Committeewoman Debbie Churchill, Montana Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen, Montana State Auditor Troy Downing, and Montana House member Lola Sheldon-Galloway, addressed the crowd. They aimed to energize attendees not just to vote themselves, but to encourage others to vote as well.
Downing highlighted the issue of voter apathy, saying, “Apathy is, ‘My vote doesn’t matter,’ ‘My vote doesn’t count,’ or ‘I don’t trust the system.’ I think that’s one of the things we can really address—trusting the system and making sure that people believe and understand.”
After the speeches, the news media was asked to leave as attendees received training on how to personally safeguard the voting process. Carol Peterson, who attended with her husband Tom, said, “We want to be educated voters and we want to educate those that are looking to gain more education. We’re retired, and we just want to understand the process and then encourage other people to get out and vote.”
The program emphasized the need for individual accountability to ensure the integrity of elections. “We need to make sure it is done properly,” Tom Peterson added, noting concerns about past elections. “There is a lot of question as to some of the elections that have not been done properly and evidence to show that. So we want to be part of the one that’s done right.”
The GOP Election Integrity Team is pleased with the enthusiasm generated by these events. “The energy that we’re seeing is infectious,” Downing said, expressing hope that it continues to grow. For attendees like Tom Peterson, election integrity remains a core value. “The integrity of the elections is fundamental to our Constitutional Republic,” he stated.
The Protect the Vote Tour is making its way across various cities and states, aiming to strengthen confidence in the electoral process nationwide.
By: Montana Newsroom staff
