Since our nation’s creation, there has been a natural tension between Washington and the states. The Founders wrestled with the constraints of the federalist system they created, when the federal government was so delicate it could not print its own money or put down rebellions like Shays’ Rebellion. Subsequent generations fortified state and federal authorities, but the balance between them has always remained contested — from the Civil War to the New Deal.
We see that same strain today. A perpetual push and pull that proves our republic is at work.
As Governor of Oklahoma, I have been steadfast in defending state authority. During the Biden Administration, I challenged COVID-19 vaccine mandates because the White House was overstepping its authority and trampling on states’ rights. Under the Trump Administration, I raised the same concern when one state’s National Guard was deployed into another state without that governor’s request to support federal immigration enforcement. My position has not changed: Washington must enforce the law, but it cannot disregard the Constitution and state sovereignty.
During my time as Chairman of the National Governors Association, I grew more convinced that our country is strongest when the federal government and states fulfill their roles as the Constitution outlines. That is why I believe states, not Washington, should administer our elections.
Under our federalist system, states reserve the right to administer elections in the ways that work best for their voters. In Oklahoma, we close the polls at 7 p.m. and we require absentee ballots to arrive by Election Day. As a result, Oklahomans see election results roll in shortly afterward. Other states have varying populations, geography, voting technology and laws that require different approaches.
If we centralize election administration in Washington, we create a one-size-fits-all model that will inevitably fail to account for the vast differences among our 50 states.
There are things our federal government does well, namely national defense, infrastructure, and disaster response. Administering the logistics of Election Day for hundreds of millions of Americans is best left up to the states.
Furthermore, state administration allows election disputes to be resolved promptly. We have seen thousands of close elections in our nation. When questions arise, state officials and courts are equipped to resolve those disputes under state law, quickly and accurately. If we were to move election administration to a centralized federal system, the backlog would be endless. It’s like if every penalty a college football referee called — whether that be in a Division I, II, or III game — had to be reviewed by the NCAA. We would never get through a game.
The federal government has an important role in protecting election integrity, but it should not run our elections from Washington. That is why I support the intent of the SAVE America Act: to establish clear national standards to protect the ballot, while preserving the states’ constitutional responsibility to administer their own elections.
States are best equipped to run elections because they are closest to the people they serve. That is not just practical; it is conservative. Limited government, local accountability, and respect for the Constitution are the principles that have kept our republic strong.
America is strongest when states are strong. A renewed commitment to federalism will ensure that decisions are made closer to the people, give Americans a more direct voice in their government, and preserve the balance of power our Founders intended.
Putting election administration in the hands of Washington would weaken that balance. It would make elections less responsive, less accountable, and further removed from the people whose votes determine their future. We must keep the administration of elections where the Constitution places it: with the states.
Kevin Stitt is the 28th Governor of Oklahoma and recently concluded his year term as Chairman of the National Governors Association.
Gov. Kevin Stitt: Uphold Federalism in Election Administration
Since our nation’s creation, there has been a natural tension between Washington and the states. The Founders wrestled with the constraints of the federalist system they created, when the federal government was so delicate it could not print its own money or put down rebellions like Shays’ Rebellion. Subsequent generations fortified state and federal authorities, but the balance between them has always remained contested — from the Civil War to the New Deal.
We see that same strain today. A perpetual push and pull that proves our republic is at work.
As Governor of Oklahoma, I have been steadfast in defending state authority. During the Biden Administration, I challenged COVID-19 vaccine mandates because the White House was overstepping its authority and trampling on states’ rights. Under the Trump Administration, I raised the same concern when one state’s National Guard was deployed into another state without that governor’s request to support federal immigration enforcement. My position has not changed: Washington must enforce the law, but it cannot disregard the Constitution and state sovereignty.
During my time as Chairman of the National Governors Association, I grew more convinced that our country is strongest when the federal government and states fulfill their roles as the Constitution outlines. That is why I believe states, not Washington, should administer our elections.
Under our federalist system, states reserve the right to administer elections in the ways that work best for their voters. In Oklahoma, we close the polls at 7 p.m. and we require absentee ballots to arrive by Election Day. As a result, Oklahomans see election results roll in shortly afterward. Other states have varying populations, geography, voting technology and laws that require different approaches.
If we centralize election administration in Washington, we create a one-size-fits-all model that will inevitably fail to account for the vast differences among our 50 states.
There are things our federal government does well, namely national defense, infrastructure, and disaster response. Administering the logistics of Election Day for hundreds of millions of Americans is best left up to the states.
Furthermore, state administration allows election disputes to be resolved promptly. We have seen thousands of close elections in our nation. When questions arise, state officials and courts are equipped to resolve those disputes under state law, quickly and accurately. If we were to move election administration to a centralized federal system, the backlog would be endless. It’s like if every penalty a college football referee called — whether that be in a Division I, II, or III game — had to be reviewed by the NCAA. We would never get through a game.
The federal government has an important role in protecting election integrity, but it should not run our elections from Washington. That is why I support the intent of the SAVE America Act: to establish clear national standards to protect the ballot, while preserving the states’ constitutional responsibility to administer their own elections.
States are best equipped to run elections because they are closest to the people they serve. That is not just practical; it is conservative. Limited government, local accountability, and respect for the Constitution are the principles that have kept our republic strong.
America is strongest when states are strong. A renewed commitment to federalism will ensure that decisions are made closer to the people, give Americans a more direct voice in their government, and preserve the balance of power our Founders intended.
Putting election administration in the hands of Washington would weaken that balance. It would make elections less responsive, less accountable, and further removed from the people whose votes determine their future. We must keep the administration of elections where the Constitution places it: with the states.
Kevin Stitt is the 28th Governor of Oklahoma and recently concluded his year term as Chairman of the National Governors Association.