Norm Coleman: In America, we demand fair elections and accept results

It is the essence of American democracy that when it comes to our elections we accept that there is a winner and there is a loser.

There are no riots in the street when the candidate of our choice does not succeed. There is no military junta overthrowing the government because it didn't like who won.

For the winners and their supporters, the sun comes up the next day and life goes on.

And remarkably, in America, for the losers and their supporters also, the sun comes up the next day and life goes on.

This year's contest for president calls upon all of us to behave as if the outcome of the election makes all of us, as Americans, winners — even if millions of us may be disappointed that our candidate of choice lost.

As the winner of an election in 2008 — and as the loser of a recount that followed and declared Al Franken a U.S. senator in 2009 — I understand the bitter taste of defeat.

I also understand the frustration that many of my supporters felt then, and still feel, about issues that were raised and never truly resolved during the legal challenges that ultimately resulted in Franken being seated as a senator for Minnesota.

And about the lack of equity when less rigorous standards for counting absentee ballots were applied in DFL-dominated Minneapolis and St. Paul precincts than in suburban precincts.

Fair questions were raised then, and have been raised since, about whether we, as a nation, do enough to protect not just the sanctity of our right to vote but also the sanctity of the value of our vote.

I think a fair assessment of both of those questions would result in a resounding "no."

George Will recently made a point that I believe is as cogent as it is accurate:

"It's hard to think of an innocent reason why Democrats spend so much time, energy and money, scarce resources, resisting attempts to purge the voter rolls, remove people who are dead or have left the jurisdiction. It's hard to think of an innocent reason why they fight so tremendously against voter I.D. laws."

Is there a way to stop and prevent it? Yes.

Should whoever loses when the vote-counting is over accept the results of the election and allow America's next president to move forward to lead our country into the future? Yes, absolutely — it's the American way.

In my last Senate race, at the end of the day, I lost. Al Franken won.

The sun came up the next morning. The country moved on. And Minnesota began to heal.

Democracy prevailed. Our legal system played its appropriate role.

To those who believe Russia is trying to influence the outcome of this year's election, there should be no greater incentive to look at how we can better protect our constitutional right to vote — and to have our vote counted fairly and accurately.

To those who believe that protecting and securing our constitutional right to vote — and to have our vote counted fairly and accurately — is nothing more than a devious effort to suppress the vote of others: You are not being honest with yourself, or the American people.

In the end, this election will be decided by the American people. Not the Russian government. Not the media. Not the system.

We, the people.

And, we, the people, must continue to demand that the system of elections in America rises up to meet the promise that our founding fathers made when they included not just the right to vote — but the right to have our vote counted fairly and accurately — in our Constitution.

All of us, regardless of our choice for president or any other elective office in America, are duty-bound to put national interest above our personal self-interest.

It's not a Democratic or Republican way.

It's the American way.