Electoral bodies and trust in their work represent the last bastion of a country’s institutional solidity. Attacking them undoubtedly marks the beginning of the end of a democracy.
In the United States, the election next Tuesday, November 8, could be the first chapter in an erosion that could well culminate in the collapse of democratic methods in the near future. In several states of that country, the position of State Secretary of State, in charge of certifying the elections and establishing the rules of the game, will be at stake.
In at least three states, Republican candidates are leading the polls who are unaware of the legitimate outcome of the 2020 election and have promised to “fix” a system that, in reality, does not need fixing. What they seek is to attack democracy; seize the levers of electoral power to, from there, guarantee their permanence in power. What they want, in other words, is to dismantle America’s democracy.
“That is why this election in November could be the last normal election in the history of the United States. We are on the edge. We are on a precipice. This is how fascism eliminates democracy. This is how totalitarianism wins,” Adrián Fontes, the Democratic candidate for Secretary of State in Arizona, recently explained.
Fontes does not exaggerate, and it would be worth putting the beards to soak.
In Mexico, a more subtle but no less dangerous coup against democracy is underway. The electoral reform proposed by the president and his party would dismantle the democratic system that has allowed Mexicans to democratically elect their rulers. Democratic, not perfect.
It is evident that there is much to improve in Mexican democracy. But the solution is not the sinister dismantling of the INE. The problems of democracy are not solved with less democracy. Unless what you really want is, yes, less democracy. The alarms are on.
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Publisher’s note:
The opinions in this article are the sole responsibility of the author.
