November 2, 2020
On Tuesday, Americans will cast their votes not only for the President of the United States, but also for representatives in the U.S. Congress, as well as state government officials. People across America will closely follow local elections too – for their school board, sheriff, or mayor as such elections can have just as much impact, if not more, on their day-to-day lives. It’s an exciting time and it’s been great to see how interested our friends and colleagues here in Slovenia are in the U.S. democratic process.
Needless to say, this has been – and continues to be – an unprecedented year for us all. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, a record number of Americans have cast their ballots by mail and participated in early voting initiatives. Accurately counting all of those votes may take time, so be patient with us. But in the meantime, I wanted to take this opportunity to emphasize one important thing that we already know – our strong relationship with Slovenia will continue to endure and remain a priority no matter what happens on Tuesday. For decades now, successive administrations have remained focused on building bonds between the United States and Slovenia as Allies, partners, and friends. The importance of our defense relationship, drive to strengthen economic ties, and ever-expanding cooperation and collaboration between the people of our two countries will remain at the forefront.
Fair and free elections are the cornerstone of any democracy. Elections give citizens a voice in in the most fundamental way – by deciding who governs. So I look forward to high voter turnout, and I’m particularly encouraged to see young people in America getting involved not only in canvassing and campaigning, but volunteering to work the polls so that their older neighbors who may be more vulnerable to Covid can stay home and stay safe.
So while we watch and wait for the results of the U.S. elections, let’s all stay home and stay safe right here in Slovenia as well.
Thank you. Hvala lepa.
