The WI election was full of destructive lies. Don’t be misled

After my review and after learning from others, here’s what I know for sure: Our election system is secure.

Adam Wallace
| Special to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

The past few years have been filled with questions and doubts about our choices. These doubts were amplified by misinformationand the result has been a growing loss of confidence in one of the most fundamental aspects of our democracy – the right to vote.

I have spent my life serving this country, first in the military and then in law enforcement. One thing I’ve learned through this whole experience is this: when people lose faith in the system, the consequences are dire. Trust is hard to rebuild once it’s gone. And right now, we’re at a point where that trust erodes quickly.

Earlier this year, I joined Pillars of the Communityan initiative that brings together people like me from a diverse set of backgrounds and political preferences—including veterans, community leaders, and everyday citizens—who care about our country and preserving our democracy. I had the chance to meet directly with the people responsible for conducting elections in our state, who took the time to explain the processes in place to make our elections as safe and transparent as possible. They also answered questions and provided reasonable explanations for concerns some of us had.

We also heard from legal experts at the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Freedom who described an in-depth analysis of the 2020 election that they conducted. Despite concluding that there are things that could be done to improve election administration – such as reform that is considered “indefinitely limited” – they explained that the 2020 results were accurate and can be trust.

Here’s what I learned: Wisconsin’s election system is safe

After my review and after learning from others, here’s what I know for sure: Our election system is secure. From the moment you register to vote, your information is verified and verified. You cannot enter and vote without showing your ID and confirming your eligibility. Voting machines are not connected to the internet, making hacking a non-issue. Postal ballots are carefully tracked from start to finish, backed by tamper-proof seals and documented every step of the way.

But here’s the real threat we face – it’s not election fraud. It is the spreading of misinformation that is designed to make people doubt the system. The more this doubt grows, the more it damages our democracy. Once people lose faith in elections, the very foundation of our democracy—and what we veterans fought to protect—is at risk.

I’ve seen firsthand what happens when systems break down because people lose faith in them. This is something you cannot afford to happen. When I deployed overseas, I saw how vital trust is—whether it’s trust between soldiers or trust in the mission. Without it, everything falls apart. Our choices are no different.

I’m not saying the system is perfect. Nothing is. But what I am saying is that the people running these elections – our neighbors, local officials and civil servants – are doing their jobs with integrity. They work in an environment where they face threats and harassment just to make sure your vote counts. There’s nothing wrong with asking questions—everyone should—but there’s a big difference between questioning something and being misled.

The key to fighting misinformation is to go straight to the source

If you’re not sure how the election process works, do what I did: go to the source. Ask the people who run the system. Look to legal experts. They will give you straight answers. What we cannot do is sit on the sidelines, spread rumors or let doubts fester. We all have a responsibility to be informed citizens, especially now.

This is not about party politics. It’s about making sure the democratic process works for everyone. We owe it to ourselves, to future generations, and to those who have risked their lives on behalf of our country to defend that process and protect it from those who would tear it down with lies.

Adam Wallace is a US Army veteran and veteran attorney from Stoughton.