It’s time we changed the tone in our commonwealth and in our nation. People who step up to volunteer to ensure we have fair elections should be treated with admiration and respect. They certainly should not receive death threats.

But that’s the state of American democracy today, and what a sad state it is.

Pennsylvania’s Secretary of State Al Schmidt had to pause to collect himself at the recent Pennsylvania Press Club luncheon in describing what he and his family endured in the last election ... just to serve the people.

Schmidt, a Republican, refused to support former President Donald Trump’s charges of fraudulent election results in Philadelphia in 2020. And for standing up for truth, he and his family received death threats from those determined to usurp the will of the people Schmidt vowed to serve.

Our commonwealth owes a great debt to Schmidt and the other election workers in Pennsylvania who would not be bullied, bribed, or cowered into undermining American democracy. We need those kind of people at the polls in 2024. But Schmidt is worried we won’t have enough of them.

In fact, in Pennsylvania and across the country, experienced election directors have resigned. Schmidt says they’ve stepped down for various reasons, but the meanness that is now engulfing our elections has got to be one of the biggest. It’s why so many good people won’t run for public office. They don’t want to subject themselves and their loved ones to the kind of bullying that has become so commonplace in today’s political arena.

The dignified era of statesmen like Ronald Reagan seems to be long gone. We wish it would come back.

Too many voters think it’s OK for candidates to berate, slander, and threaten their opponents, and to cast unwarranted doubt on the results of elections. People running for the highest offices in the land are still hurling lies about the 2020 elections being “rigged.” They even encourage their supporters to do the same.

Folks, it just ain’t true. And it’s just plain wrong. Good people must demand a higher standard of behavior from people who want to lead our nation.

Public servants like Schmidt and the hundreds of people working in county election offices and at the polls deserve our support and our trust. Most are decent people working hard to ensure free and fair elections. They deserve to work in safety and security.

We call on officials of both parties in Pennsylvania to tamp down the vicious and violent rhetoric that is weakening our elections and our democracy.

We call on political leaders to insist the candidates they support uphold the same standards of behavior we demand of our children. No yelling, name-calling or threatening anyone. And we call on leaders of both parties and all candidates for office to denounce those who try to intimidate public servants and election workers.

That’s the only way to ensure peaceful, fair elections for the April 23 primary, and that the voice of the people is heard loud and clear on Nov. 5, 2024.

Here’s a link for detailed information on the elections, including voter registration and mail-in ballot deadlines: https://www.vote.pa.gov/About-Elections/Pages/Upcoming-Elections.aspx.

PennLive