Write Here! Write Now! (WHWN)
Tell Your Senators to Please Fix the Electoral Count Act Now

Suggested Talking Points
(use your own examples, tell your story, and/or draw on some of these suggested points)

 There is agreement that the ECA needs to be updated and clarified. Ambiguities in this 1867 statute may be exploited by members of the losing party in future presidential elections. 

• Contrary to what some claimed after the 2020 election, the Vice President only presides over the counting and has no authority to reject electors. 
• The ECA’s requirement that an objection can be raised by a single member of each chamber is too low a bar. Congress should significantly increase the number of members needed to raise an objection and enumerate narrow grounds for raising an objection (including a specific definition of a “failed” election).  
• Disputes over whether a state has properly conducted an election should ideally be resolved in the courts, not Congress. An amended ECA should specifically provide for expedited review in the appropriate state or federal court of such questions.

Sample Letter to Your Senators
(NOTE: this is only a sample letter. It will make a difference if you use your own words. Speak from your heart.)

Dear Senator:

I’m a Unitarian Universalist and supporter of the Unitarian Universalists for Social Justice.​ Our faith calls for respecting the right of conscience and using the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large. This compels me to advocate for a healthy, inclusive democratic process.
 
[Important: Support the message with a personal experience or concern relating to elections and voting.]
 
I urge you to take action in this 117th Congress to update the Electoral Count Act of 1887 (ECA) to establish clear and fair procedures for the counting and certification of electoral votes for the presidency. To avoid the chaos that resulted when Congress gathered on Jan. 6, 2021, to count electoral votes, Congress must clarify the Act in the following ways:

• Clarify that the Vice President has a limited, ceremonial role and cannot reject slates of electors forwarded by states;
• Increase the number of members of Congress required to raise an objection to a state’s submission of electoral votes;
• Enumerate specific grounds for objecting and narrowly define the concept of a “failed” election;
• Provide limited and expedited judicial review in state and/or federal courts, as appropriate, to ensure that the electors appointed by a state reflect the popular vote results in the state. 

I look forward to hearing about your plans to ensure the passage of the revised ECA