In the weeks leading up to this election, there was no shortage of reasons to worry. Concerns about political interference, voter intimidation, disruptions at polling places, and efforts to undermine confidence in election results were real. Many Americans approached Election Day with considerable uncertainty and anxiety about what might happen.
And then, across most of the country, something rather ordinary happened: people showed up, and the process worked.
Voters turned out in large numbers. Poll workers helped people cast their ballots. Election officials administered the process, secured ballots, and began the painstaking work of counting votes. There were problems, as there are in every election, but most were resolved quickly. As one election director put it, the day was “very boring” but the turnout was good.
After so much anticipation of disruption, boring feels like something worth celebrating.
Of course, we won’t all feel the same way about how the election turned out. Some of us are celebrating; others are disappointed. That’s democracy. We don’t have to agree about who should lead us, or what direction the country should take, to agree that every eligible voter should have the opportunity to participate, every vote should be counted, and the results of a free and fair election should be respected.
Perhaps the most important thing this week reminded us is that these ordinary features of democratic life are not inevitable. They depend on people.
Across the country, poll workers showed up, often after months of preparation and in the face of considerable pressure. Poll chaplains offered a reassuring presence to voters. Election officials upheld the rules and carried out their responsibilities. Courts enforced legal boundaries, and lawyers and advocates helped defend the rights and procedures that make participation possible.
To all of them: thank you. You did the often-unseen work of making democracy function.
And we saw something else worth recognizing: candidates who accepted the results of their elections, conceded gracefully, and expressed support for the democratic process, even when the outcome wasn’t what they had hoped for.
As Chris Purdy, CEO of The Chamberlain Network, reflected, “American democracy was reaffirmed, not because a political party or candidate won, but it was reaffirmed by the people who lost, and by how they lost.”
That is an important reminder: democracy depends on the people who participate in elections and also on the willingness of those who don’t prevail to respect the outcome and uphold the process.
For American Jews, this work carries particular meaning. Our history gives us ample reason not to take the rights and protections of minority communities for granted. The ability to worship freely, organize, advocate, and participate fully in public life depends, in part, on the strength of the democratic institutions we share. And Jewish tradition teaches that our obligations extend beyond our own community, to our neighbors and to the broader society in which we live.
This was the animating idea behind our Faith in Fair Elections campaign: protecting elections is not simply a political or procedural concern. It is an expression of our responsibility to one another and to the country we share.
We wanted to help American Jews understand that responsibility and find meaningful, nonpartisan ways to act on it. This election, thousands of American Jews stepped up alongside their fellow citizens to do just that.
We should feel encouraged by what happened this week. But we shouldn’t confuse a free and fair election with a job completed. Votes are still being counted, close races are still being resolved, and election officials have important work ahead before results are finalized and certified.
Further, the work of rebuilding trust, strengthening democratic institutions, and sustaining the norms that allow us to disagree without abandoning one another continues.
Democracy isn’t something we inherit and keep. It’s something each generation has to choose to sustain.
We don’t have to do everything. But we do have to keep doing something. And in the months and years ahead, there will be no shortage of opportunities to strengthen our democracy, show up for one another, and keep building the country we want to share.