In one of America's most technologically advanced states, California voters have grown accustomed to waiting days, and sometimes weeks, for election results. The state’s elections are a national disgrace.
Peru successfully conducted a national election involving more than 20 million voters and produced results within a single day. A single day. Yet in California, voters must wait days or weeks to learn the outcome of elections. In the world's most powerful democracy, that should be unacceptable.
These delays matter because election security is a matter of national security.
The foundation of every strong nation is trust in its institutions and its laws. Trust that the government derives its authority from the consent of the governed. Once that trust begins to erode, everything else eventually follows.
Every American, regardless of political affiliation, should be able to cast a legal ballot and know it will be counted accurately. Likewise, every American should know safeguards exist to prevent fraud, abuse, and foreign interference. Secure elections protect every voter, every elected official, and ultimately our constitutional republic.
That is why I have consistently supported legislation designed to strengthen confidence in our elections and ensure that only eligible citizens determine the future of our country.
I proudly supported the SAVE Act, which would require proof of citizenship to register to vote in federal elections. The idea that non-citizens should be prevented from voting in American elections should be one of the least controversial positions in public life. Voting is among the most sacred rights and responsibilities of citizenship. Protecting that principle is not voter suppression. It is common sense.
I have also advocated the improvement of voter roll maintenance, strengthening election transparency, increasing accountability in ballot handling, and ensuring states have the tools necessary to verify voter eligibility. These measures are not designed to make cheating harder, not voting. and confidence easier.
Just this month, the House Armed Services Committee approved my Review of Secure and Timely Voting under UOCAVA (Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act) amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027.
In August 2025, I introduced the PROVE Act, which would amend UOCAVA to require non-military overseas citizens to prove their current residency in the state in which they are attempting to vote.
Currently, UOCAVA allows many overseas citizens to vote in federal elections based on a last-known state residence, even when they no longer maintain meaningful ties to that state. What is most disturbing is that 39 states currently permit individuals who have never resided in the United States to cast ballots in state elections. This policy exists in several states that frequently determine presidential outcomes, including Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, and Wisconsin.
Americans lock their homes. They protect their bank accounts. They safeguard their personal information. Why would we demand less security for the elections that determine the future of the world's most powerful nation?
The stakes have never been higher.
Foreign adversaries understand that America can be weakened without firing a single shot. China, Russia, Iran, and other hostile actors devote significant resources to cyber operations, influence campaigns, and information warfare designed to sow division and distrust among Americans.
When election systems appear vulnerable, whether because of actual weaknesses or a lack of transparency, those adversaries benefit.
Critics often claim concerns about election integrity threaten democracy. The opposite is true. Democracy cannot survive without confidence. Citizens must believe the rules are fair, their votes matter, and election laws are enforced equally. When those conditions disappear, public faith in government erodes and national unity weakens.
This is why election integrity must be viewed through the same lens as border security, cybersecurity, and military readiness. All are components of national security. All protect American sovereignty. All preserve the ability of Americans to determine their own future.
Secure elections are not a Republican issue or a Democrat issue. They are an American issue. And if we fail to protect them, everything else we seek to defend will ultimately fall apart.
