To the Editor:
Re “Here’s How to Help Defend Our Election System” (editorial, Feb. 1):
I was so happy to see this editorial, and so utterly underwhelmed by the editorial board’s proposed solutions.
President Trump’s highly suspect incursion into the Fulton County, Ga., election center, and rehashing of the 2020 election results, with Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, on the scene, and his subsequent phone call with the F.B.I. agents on site should demonstrate to all that Mr. Trump will stop at nothing to ensure that his party retains power in 2026 and 2028, lest he face consequences for his innumerable illegal actions.
The search of the election center is nothing but a dangerous pretext for him to cry fraud and declare that the federal government needs to oversee elections. Where? In cities in swing states, of course!
Your proposed solutions are quaint, like bringing a water gun to a lethal battle. I should donate to a pro-democracy organization or volunteer at the polls? Way too little. It’s up to the states to stand up to Mr. Trump, by threatening to withhold income taxes and other revenues paid to the federal government if the federal government interferes with elections. Democrats must learn to fight fire with fire. Mr. Trump is lawless. He responds only to brute force.
Alexandra Olins Seattle
To the Editor:
I wish this excellent editorial had stressed the importance of mail-in ballots. While President Trump will try to interfere with some mail-in ballots, his expected interference with in-person voting will be much more consequential and will likely lead to a stolen election.
We can expect that President Trump will send his masked agents, looking like armed thugs, to surround polling places early on Election Day, interrogating and intimidating voters who are not white. The reason given: to protect the integrity of the voting process. This will be shown on TV and will discourage many from voting.
On Election Day, it will be too late for any court orders to be effective, if any could even be obtained.
Jack Holtzman San Diego
To the Editor:
This editorial focuses on an essential issue for all Americans: Will they stand by as the mechanisms to steal the 2026 elections from us are built out in the open?
The editorial promotes donations and actions on Election Day. This is good, but does not go far enough. What can Americans do now to prevent the seizing of ballot boxes on Election Day? To stop the deployment of ICE and other federal police around polling places on Election Day in Democratic neighborhoods? To stop the Insurrection Act from being used to create chaos on Election Day to suppress voting?
We need to be acting now to stop this. President Trump’s allies are already spinning a narrative that federal deployment of militarized police explicitly targeting voting is necessary to prevent fraud. Since the existence of this “fraud” has been disproved in courts all over our country, the purpose of this disinformation narrative is to cover planned deployments on Election Day designed to intimidate voters in predominantly blue cities in swing states.
One step that people can take now is to demand of their legislators that the Department of Homeland Security be forbidden to deploy federal officers within 1,000 feet of any polling place on Election Day without formal approval from and cooperation with the local police.
Andrew Sharpless Chevy Chase, Md.
To the Editor:
President Trump may try again to undermine free and fair elections. If he does, we’ll see him in court — again.
America’s voting system is heavily audited and built with safeguards so that every ballot counts — Republican, Democratic, independent, all of us. Don’t take my word for it: Volunteer as an election worker and see how rigorous it is firsthand.
We need everyone — across all parties — to show up, participate and help run elections. That’s how democracy works. And it’s why Mr. Trump’s lawyers don’t dare to claim election fraud in court, where lying has real consequences. In its settlement with Dominion Voting Systems, Fox learned $787.5 million worth of reasons that lies about our election process have repercussions.
Scot Yonan Chicago
To the Editor:
I am very concerned about the change the United States Postal Service made in December, from postmarking mail when it arrives to postmarking mail when it is processed. Who knows how far away from processing various small towns and cities are across the nation? And who’s in charge of where the processing takes place?
Manipulating the postmarking is a way to stop millions of voters from having their votes count, if they don’t realize that processing could be one or more days from the time they put their ballots in the mail.
Lorie Lucky Burien, Wash.
To the Editor:
For the many U.S. voters who live, work, study or serve outside the United States, Trumpian election interference is already familiar. In recent years these citizens have faced partisan ballot challenges and a malicious, baseless smear campaign to discredit these American voters, including members of the U.S. military, led by the president himself.
Fortunately, there is a robust, nonpartisan platform in place that these voters can rely on to exercise their right to vote in U.S. elections.
VoteFromAbroad.org is an excellent resource that makes it easy to register and request an absentee ballot. It also has a built-in chatbot and 24/7 voter help line that is accessible from anywhere in the world, which is especially valuable for students and first-time voters.
From my personal experience with this organization, President Trump’s attempts to disenfranchise will be met with a resounding “Hands off!”
P. Kamons London
Trump’s Racist, ‘Despicable’ Post About the Obamas
To the Editor:
Re “Trump Deletes Racist Video of Obamas After Outcry” (nytimes.com, Feb. 6):
It is hard to put into words the outrage I feel at President Trump’s post on Truth Social depicting the Obamas as apes.
The racism from Republicans used to be “dog whistles” — comments that superficially sounded acceptable but included a racist message directed to their white supporters. With Mr. Trump and social media, the racism is now blatant.
The irony, of course, is that the Obamas were and are incredibly intelligent, decent, wonderful people, true examples of the best of America, while Mr. Trump represents the absolute worst.
I can assure Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, that the outrage the majority of Americans feel about Mr. Trump’s offensive, despicable post is anything but “fake.”
Eric Beldoch Bronx
To the Editor:
As an American mother, I am outraged by President Trump’s latest post depicting the gracious Obamas as apes. This is not what I want America or its leaders to be. The president should be a moral leader for our children (and adults). I fear for our country with a president who has no moral compass or decency.
The Obamas were the epitome of morality during their entire two terms. It is not OK to post or repost this morally corrupt video. I do not have “fake outrage” — this is real outrage.
Susan Fagerstrom Winchester, Mass.
The post Fighting Threats to Free and Fair Elections appeared first on New York Times.
