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MAKE ELECTIONS SECURE IN STATES (M.E.S.S.)

A Citizen’s Guide to Restoring Trust in Our Elections

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In March 2025, President Donald Trump issued an Executive Order titled “Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections” calling on federal and state leaders to restore confidence in the nation’s election system. Around the same time, U.S. Representative Pete Sessions introduced the Making Elections Secure Act (MESA) to support states working to strengthen election integrity nationwide.

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While federal leadership can provide important direction, election administration occurs primarily at the state and local level. This is where procedures are established, ballots are handled, and votes are counted.

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Across the country, uneven standards, administrative loopholes, and fragmented practices have contributed to declining public confidence in election systems. Citizens Defending Freedom (CDF) refers to this problem as a national M.E.S.S. — a system that many Americans no longer fully trust.

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To address these concerns constructively, CDF has developed the C.L.E.A.N. Up the M.E.S.S. framework, a citizen-driven model designed to help states strengthen election standards while supporting federal measures that reinforce voter eligibility requirements.

The C.L.E.A.N. Framework

Five Standards to Strengthen Election Integrity

C — Citizenship Verification & Voter ID​​

Many states rely on self-attestation rather than documentary proof of citizenship, which can weaken confidence in voter eligibility systems.​

C.L.E.A.N. Standard

  • Government-issued photo ID

  • Sworn citizenship affidavit

  • Clear identification standards

  • Stronger voter eligibility verification safeguards

📄 Learn More: Read the Citizenship Verification & Voter ID One-Page Summary​

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L — Limit Mail-In Ballots

Mail voting introduces additional handling stages outside supervised polling locations, increasing chain-of-custody risks and administrative complexity.

C.L.E.A.N. Standard

Mail voting limited to:

  • Voters covered under federal absentee protections for military and overseas citizens (UOCAVA/MOVE Act), including active-duty service members, Merchant Marine members, their eligible family members, and U.S. citizens residing abroad.

📄 Learn More: Read the Limit Mail-In Ballots One-Page Summary​​

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E — Early Voting Shortened / Election Day Uniformity

Extended early voting periods increase administrative complexity and oversight demands while not consistently improving voter turnout.​

C.L.E.A.N. Standard

  • A short early voting window of no more than three days immediately preceding Election Day

  • Greater consistency between counties and precincts

  • Clearer administrative procedures for election officials

📄 Learn More: Read the Early Voting Uniformity One-Page Summary​​

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A — Accountable & Accessible Precincts

Large precincts can strain election administration, delay results, and make effective oversight more difficult. Research from institutions such as MIT and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has noted operational challenges associated with oversized polling locations.

C.L.E.A.N. Standard

  • Reasonable precinct size caps

  • Paper poll books

  • Transparent incident reporting

  • Standardized procedures across precincts

  • Strong public observer access​

📄 Learn More: Read the Accountable Precincts One-Page Summary​

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N — No Digital Ballots or Machine Counting

Public trust in election technology remains divided. Surveys from organizations such as the Pew Research Center and Rasmussen Reports show continued concern about computerized vote tabulation.

C.L.E.A.N. Standard

  • Hand-marked paper ballots

  • Precinct-level hand counting where feasible

  • No barcode-dependent ballot tabulation

  • Publicly documented chain-of-custody procedures

📄 Learn More: Read the No Machine Counting One-Page Summary

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Federal Action:
Support the SAVE America Act!

While states administer elections, federal law establishes foundational voter eligibility requirements for federal contests. The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act (H.R. 7296) strengthens enforcement of the existing federal requirement that only U.S. citizens may vote in federal elections.

What the SAVE America Act Does

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The SAVE America Act requires states to strengthen citizenship verification at the voter registration stage by:

  • Requiring documentary proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections

  • Establishing an alternative process allowing applicants to submit additional evidence if standard documents are unavailable

  • Mandating ongoing verification procedures to identify noncitizens on voter rolls

  • Requiring states to remove noncitizens from official voter registration lists once identified

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Why Citizens Defending Freedom Supports the SAVE America Act

  • Voting is a right reserved for U.S. citizens. The SAVE America Act reinforces this principle at the voter registration stage.

  • Clear eligibility standards strengthen public trust. Consistent citizenship verification improves confidence in election outcomes.

  • Federal law already prohibits noncitizen voting. The SAVE America Act helps ensure that existing law is consistently enforced.

Take Action

📞 Contact the Senate Majority Leader and the U.S. Senator from your state today and urge them to support the SAVE America Act.

📍 Find your Senator: United States Senate Directory

 

Contact Information for the Office of US Senator Majority Leader John Thune:
Email Senator Thune - U.S. Senator John Thune | DC Phone Number: (202) 224-2321

 

CDF has developed the following tools to help citizens engage constructively with their elected officials:

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