Well, Pioneers, midterm elections are officially over. The months of political ads showing up on every media and social platform are over as well. We hope you had the chance to practice your right to vote and made your voice heard, whether in-person at the polls or voting by mail. 

With that being said, certain candidates that you may have wanted to become elected, may not have, but that does not mean the election was not properly held or “fake” or “stolen.” We need to accept the election results regardless of the outcome and our personal biases.

If the previous election has left us with anything, it should be a greater appreciation for election officials and the work that they do. Election officials are doing their jobs with integrity, and with transparency, with observers from both major parties in every counting room to validate the 

process. Poll workers and counters work a very long day on election day and not accepting the election results directly dismisses the work that they do, putting them under unnecessary scrutiny. It’s time we come together to recognize and respect the will of the people and begin to move forward as a state and as a country.

Every elected official, of both parties, owes it to our democracy to speak out against any attempts to undermine the integrity of our election system and undermine public confidence in whoever is declared the winner, but this should only happen if there is concrete evidence, not based on a rumor or conspiracy. Creating a false narrative, such as one about an election being “stolen,” can have negative and dangerous consequences. We do not need a repeat of the insurrection on the capitol. 

We have a duty to accept the results of the midterm elections, even if the candidate we supported does not win. We the people choose our leaders. Politicians don’t decide the results of elections; voters do.