A panel on election integrity and the future of American self-governance drew spirited discussion during the Association of Mature American Citizens’ two-day Bootcamp for Patriots event at the America First Warehouse in Ronkonkoma.
The seminar, titled “The Ballot and the Republic: 250 Years of Self-Governance,” was moderated by AMAC Newsline Editor-in-Chief Shane Harris and featured a panel that included state Assemblyman Joe DeStefano, who warned that New York’s one-party government has advanced a series of policies designed to shut out Democrat opponents.
“They moved local elections to the state and federal even-numbered years to drown out suburban voters,” DeStefano said. “They gerrymandered congressional district maps to dilute the Republican vote. They want massive mail-in ballots and no voter ID. Now they want to allow illegal immigrants to vote. The impact of all of this manipulation on free and fair elections is incredible.”
Panelist Michael Maibach, managing director of the James Wilson Institute, provided historical perspective, discussing the Electoral College and the Founding Fathers’ vision for representative government. He argued that America’s constitutional system was intentionally designed to balance competing interests and prevent concentrated political power.
The panel discussed the SAVE America Act, legislation that would require proof of U.S. citizenship to vote in federal elections. Speakers said the measure would strengthen confidence in the electoral process and help ensure that the illegal aliens the Democrats brought in to skew elections in their favor can’t vote.
Honest Elections Project Vice President Chad Ennis focused on concerns surrounding mail-in ballots and election fraud. “Every step in the mail-in process is a step where failure can happen,” Ennis said.
Moderator Harris said the discussion reflected growing public interest in election security and citizen engagement, while emphasizing that protecting election integrity requires vigilance from both lawmakers and voters.
The speakers agreed that active citizen participation remains essential to preserving the nation’s republican form of government as America approaches its 250th anniversary.