Adam Russell Taylor writes in this week’s SojoMail that people of faith should want a free and fair election — and candidates who agree on the rules: If I’d been the moderator on Tuesday’s debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump, the first question would have been this: Will you accept the results of a free and fair election? According to most political commentators, Harris won the debate, her first against Trump. Throughout the 90-minutes, Trump often appeared angry and unhinged, spreading a flurry of falsehoods while Harris appeared poised and commanding, often putting Trump on the defensive about his record. Both candidates repeatedly dodged moderators’ questions and spent significant time attacking their opponent; when Harris taunted Trump about the size of his rallies and his reputation among world leaders, Trump took the bait and responded exactly as we have come to expect: with bluster. But while assessing who wins a debate can be fairly subjective, determining who wins the upcoming election can’t — or shouldn’t be. As we’ve learned since 2020, confidence in our electoral system has increasingly become a partisan issue, with over 70 percent of Republican voters believing that President Joe Biden’s win in 2020 was illegitimate, a belief fueled by the pernicious, big lie that the election was stolen due to widespread voter fraud. Changing these numbers and restoring bipartisan confidence in our electoral system will require real work — and leadership from our elected officials. It will also require voters to care. Though polling shows issues like the economy, immigration, and abortion — not democracy — are among top issues for most voters, I believe voters, especially voters of faith, need to listen carefully to how Trump and Harris talk about the freedom to vote, the process of administering the election, adjudicating the results, and all the other rules that govern our elections. After all, how well we defend our democracy will impact every other issue we care about, including poverty, climate change, foreign policy, and so much more. Which brings me back to the question I wish moderators had asked. | 
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