On November 11, veterans an allies from across the country will gather in Washington, DC for a peaceful, national event to celebrate the completion of free and fair elections, a fundamental pillar of American democracy. This nonpartisan event will highlight the voices of veterans and military family members talking about why voting in a free and fair election is so important to American service members.

Why This Veterans Day? This year, Veterans Day is one week after Election Day.

For years, much of the work of protecting democracy has focused on getting Americans safely through Election Day: registering voters, staffing polling places, countering disinformation, and protecting access to the ballot.

That work is critical.

But the work of democracy does not end when the polls close. It continues until every vote is counted and the results are certified. 

There are millions of American veterans. Every one of us raised a hand and swore an oath to support and defend the Constitution—not an individual or a political party. That oath did not expire when we took off the uniform.

Our Rallying Points:

1. The Voters Decide. The Results Stand.

Every eligible voter deserves to have their ballot counted. Legitimate election disputes must be grounded in evidence and resolved through lawful processes.

The lawful results of free and fair elections must be respected, certified, and implemented.

2. No One is Above the Constitution

Federal law enforcement and military forces must operate within both the Constitution and the law, and must never be used to intimidate voters, suppress lawful dissent, or serve partisan political purposes. 

Those who serve are duty-bound to follow lawful orders–and refuse unlawful ones. 

Congress has a responsibility to check abuses of executive power and fulfill its constitutional duties, including oversight of federal law enforcement, domestic use of military forces, and decisions of war and peace. 

Government power has limits, and every public official who swears an oath to the Constitution has a responsibility to honor and defend those limits. 

3. Keep Faith with Those Who Serve.

Service members deserve lawful, professional leadership as well as a military personnel system based on merit, qualifications, and lawful processes–not partisan loyalty or ideological tests. Political leaders should not manipulate military promotions or personnel decisions for partisan or ideological purposes.

Those who serve should never be used as instruments of partisan politics.

Veterans deserve the health care, disability compensation, and benefits they earned and were promised. Congress must not meet its obligations to one generation of veterans by taking away benefits from another generation of veterans. 

The cost of war does not end when the war does.

 Veterans are organized. We are paying attention. And we are preparing to act together.