Our Economy Depends on Public Trust in Elections and the Peaceful Transfer of Power

The peaceable transfer of power through the democratic process of voting is one of our country’s most stability-enforcing institutions. This tradition has been, and continues to be, essential to the long-term financial well-being of Americans and the continued growth of the American economy.

American workers, retirees and companies have unquestionably benefited from the domestic tranquility that has flowed for generations, as a result of every voter’s steadfast belief that their role is respected and protected.

As women, African-Americans, and draft-age youth have also gained the right to vote, they too have become an integral part of this essential democratic process, and this has made America more economically powerful, not less.

This trusted expectation, even evident in the midst of world wars, has been the platform upon which America has relied to ensure stability in our markets and those of the world. And yet, during this election season, the President of the United States has questioned the integrity of our voting system in an effort to erode public confidence in the outcome, should he lose.

Rather than shoring up our national intelligence to root out foreign actors who wish to disrupt our political system, the President has been an echo-chamber for conspiracy theories and false claims of fraud and abuse.

It is not in America’s long-term fiscal or social interest to risk our most valuable asset. The certainty of the American experiment of democratic voting and the peaceful transfer of power should never be harmed in the pursuit of short-term partisan gain.

Loss of the widespread belief in America’s ability to peaceably transfer power from one President to the next would have a catastrophic system-level impact on the long-term outlook for employers, workers, and the entire economy of the United States.

As fiscal stewards of our states and guardians of the financial well-being of our citizens, we urge all of our partners to encourage public servants to act patriotically and above partisan interests. We must work together to preserve the integrity of the American system of democratically voting and transferring power.

It is in everyone’s interest who benefits from a strong American economy, to ensure that after this election — no matter who wins — every American voter feels they were a part of the process that determined the future of America.

If this is not the case, then we all lose.

Signed,

Maine State Treasurer Henry Beck

Nevada State Treasurer Zach Conine

Delaware State Treasurer Colleen Davis

New Mexico State Treasurer Tim Eichenberg

Iowa State Treasurer Michael Fitzgerald

Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs

Wisconsin State Treasurer Sarah Godlewski

Massachusetts State Treasurer Deb Goldberg

Maryland State Treasurer Nancy Kopp

California State Treasurer Fiona Ma

Rhode Island State Treasurer Seth Magaziner

Vermont State Treasurer Beth Pearce

West Virginia Treasurer John Perdue

Oregon State Treasurer Tobias Read

Pennsylvania State Treasurer Joe Torsella

Connecticut State Treasurer Shawn Wooden

Colorado State Treasurer Dave Young