California is a state in desperate need of election reform. Citizens have lost confidence in the voting process.

That is why more than 1.3 million Californians signed petitions to place Proposition 39, a voter identification and citizenship verification initiative, on the ballot in November.

Prop. 39 is a common-sense measure to ensure illegal ballots are not being cast. 

Right now, California does not require documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote, and state law prevents local governments from imposing their own voter identification requirements for municipal elections.

That’s an invitation to fraud.

And Californians are not alone in suspecting that their elections can be compromised.

According to a recent nationwide Gallup poll, nearly six in 10 Americans are concerned that ballots will not be properly handled, counted or secured in November.

In the world’s greatest democratic republic, that widespread lack of confidence should concern all of us.

But the answer cannot simply be waiting for Washington, state capitals or election officials to restore that confidence.

America was built on a different idea: self-government.

From the earliest days of our republic, Americans have done more than choose their government. We have participated in its administration.

Throughout our nation’s history, Americans have served on juries, gathered in town meetings, selected local officials and taken responsibility for the institutions on which republican government depends.

The French philosopher Alexis de Tocqueville, admiring what made America unique, recognized the importance of this tradition of self-government as he traveled through the United States in the 1830s.

Tocqueville noted that American institutions placed responsibility in the hands of ordinary citizens and taught them the habits necessary to sustain a free society.

That tradition of self-governance that Tocqueville described remains an animating feature of American society today. 

And of all the ways that we in America can participate in civic life, few are more fundamental than helping to administer and oversee elections.

Writing to elected officials, attending town halls, organizing rallies and advocating for legislation all matter.

And serving as a poll worker or poll watcher is an important way that citizens can participate in the all-American self-governance.

That is why the organization I lead, Tea Party Patriots Action, has made training for poll workers and poll watchers a key part of our election integrity efforts.

We are active in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas and Wisconsin. Our goal is not merely to produce more election observers. It is to produce more citizens who understand how elections work and are prepared to participate in protecting the process.

And you, too, can volunteer.

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No special background is required. In the 2022 and 2024 election cycles, we helped train 35,000 citizen activists to serve as poll workers or poll watchers across the nation.

That number represents something larger than an organizational accomplishment.

Tens of thousands of Americans decided that concern about elections was not enough. They chose participation.

This type of citizen participation is particularly important, because many election problems are best addressed while an election is being conducted. Preventing voter fraud before a ballot is cast is the most effective way to safeguard our elections.

Taking action afterward is often too late.

President Donald Trump wants Congress to pass the SAVE America Act, which is currently stalled in the Senate. The bill, if passed, would help secure our elections nationwide.

But legislation is only one part of election integrity. We do not have to wait for Congress or a state legislature before taking responsibility for our elections.

Tocqueville understood that self-government survives through practice. The jury box, the town meeting, and the polling place may perform different functions, but each reflects the same principle: Republican government asks something of its citizens beyond casting a ballot.

Restoring confidence in American elections will require sound laws and competent election officials. And, most of all, it will require citizens who are willing to participate.

Jenny Beth Martin leads Tea Party Patriots Action.