To the Journal editor:

While snoozing under an oak tree, Chicken Little is hit on the head by an acorn. Being slower than your average chicken, he hysterically runs around telling other animals that the sky is falling.

Well, contrary to the ever present “Stolen Election” hysterics, the sky is not falling.

Fanning the flames of division and distrust, however, Florida’s Republican governor, Ron DeSantis, formed the Florida Office of Election Crimes and Security.

During their first 9 months in 2022, these election police had 20 alleged offenders arrested. Six of the cases were dismissed and five accepted plea deals with no jail time (Washington Post, May 1 Election Police).

They managed a total of 13 felony convictions by the end of the year, according to the DeSantis administration (WUSF.org July 16 Election Crimes). With 11.1 million Floridians having voted in the 2020 election, voter fraud amounted to a mere 0.000001 percent of the vote.

DeSantis pushed to increase the Florida Office of Election Crimes and Security budget to $3.1 million (NBC News May 5). Even with triple the budget, three additional cases might go to trial, at best. The sky is not falling.

In contrast, Michigan’s governor, Gretchen Whitmer, signed numerous bills improving our state’s voting laws. They reasonably expand upon early voting and allow for early absentee voting tabulation (AP News July 8 voting rights).

It’s now easier for first-time young voters to participate and for active duty personnel to vote electronically. Finally, the act of paying transportation costs for those in need of a lift to the polls has been decriminalized (bridgemi.com election law overhaul).

A conservative think-tank, The Heritage Foundation, compiled a national list of 1,490 proven instances of voter fraud, which had occurred over a period of 44 years (heritage.org voter fraud). That averages 34 cases per year … nationally. Less than one case per state per year. The sky is not falling.

Trump lost 61 of 62 state and federal lawsuits alleging voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election. Of the 13 cases filed in federal court, 12 were heard by a judge appointed by Trump (Brookings.edu Nov. 30 2021 Trump).

We are in the beginning of an election year. Free, fair and secure elections are the cornerstones to our democracy. Chicken Little politics undermines our dedicated election workers and the institutions they uphold.

The sky is not falling.