Richard Littlefield: Venezuela serves as perfect example for expanding election integrity

To The Daily Sun,

Just a few days ago Venezuelans voted to remove socialist dictator Nicolas Maduro for a pro-liberty, pro-prosperity candidate in Edmundo González.

There is no democratic election system like we have here in the United States, and Maduro is using that lack of transparent infrastructure to now illegally hold on to power, power that has allowed him to starve and hold his citizens down for far to long.

New Hampshire has a lot of really good and experienced moderators and election teams that really set a great example for everyone.

Even though we have this advantage, we have to remember that the United States is only one or two concrete federal policies away from becoming a country that is incapable of free, fair, and accurate elections.

Venezuela is a perfect example of why the federal government can not have the last word over ballot counting, and whether or not fraud and other irregularities are ever litigated at all.

States must keep the ability to stand watch over their own elections, under their own laws.

We must expand on election integrity.

Voter ID. Provisional ballots. Signature verification.

We must create concrete rules for ballot boxes that deter ballot stuffing. One person one vote.

State parties must comply with Supreme Court of the United States orders when it comes to segregating legal ballots from the illegal or soiled.

As a representative I co-sponsored election integrity bills that would have strengthened New Hampshire's electoral process, as well as give Granite Staters a renewed confidence that our elections are without a doubt free, fair, and accurate.

If elected in November, election integrity will continue to be a top focus moving forward.

I will always fight for the sanctity of your vote.

Richard Littlefield

Laconia