Download this letter as well as the full report on the Resource Page.
September 7, 2021
To the citizens or the Commonwealth of Virginia,
To maintain this Republic as established by the United States Constitution it is of utmost importance that the “Consent of the Governed” be maintained. Maintaining “Consent” is the responsibility of those elected to legislate and enact election laws (at the state level) and those appointed and paid by the taxpayers to administer free and fair elections.
In recent years, and especially since the elections of November 2020, confidence in election processes across the nation has seriously eroded. Polling suggests that a majority of Americans now believe cheating affected the outcome of the 2020 presidential election and many dispute the results of contests at every level – Increasing public scrutiny has raised many questions that demand answers of those entrusted to administer elections equitably and with sufficient transparency to ensure the public trust.
In an effort to seek a deeper and more thorough understanding of the current situation in Virginia as pertaining to the administration of elections, election law, and the changes being made due to COVID, and other factors, Virginians for America First (VFAF) and a coalition of like-minded organizations have undertaken a project that will promote election integrity by educating and informing the public about the process. There are several components to this ongoing effort.
This letter introduces the first product of our project; a report on the results of a comprehensive survey of registrars (officials responsible for the conduct of elections at the county and city level) across the Commonwealth. In conducting the survey we have made great efforts to maintain uniformity, and have reported only on the answers to specific questions asked during interviews and provided analysis and recommendations. -The process is described in our report. –
We have noted areas of concern and issues we do believe demand greater scrutiny and further investigation. We have deliberately avoided the use of anecdotal evidence of fraud and malfeasance alleged by witnesses.
We want to express our thanks to all those Registrars who willingly participated by meeting with our volunteers and candidly providing information and expert opinion on election processes and concerns, fulfilling their duty and responsibility as public servants. During this reporting period we met with 29 registrars, more than 20% of the total in the Commonwealth. Unfortunately, a few of those we approached refused interviews, or refused to answer questions in person, or felt it necessary to bring in legal counsel.
We hope that the report is useful in helping Virginians to develop and implement credible and transparent elections; to restore citizen trust in the integrity of our process and the democratic legitimacy of our elected representatives; and to serve as a model of best practice for other states in our Republic.
May God bless America and the Commonwealth of Virginia. Sincerely,
Leon Benjamin Founder and Chairman
Mark Lloyd Executive Director