Sen. Ron Johnson: Election integrity should be a nonpartisan issue
Senator Ron Johnson has vocalized his concern following New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill’s revelation that a software error led to 6,600 non-citizens being incorrectly registered to vote, with 400 of them casting ballots. Johnson, representing Wisconsin, underscores the necessity of preserving election integrity through measures such as voter ID requirements and meticulous upkeep of voter rolls. He emphasizes that restoring public trust in U.S. elections should transcend partisan politics.
In a startling political shift, Nicaragua’s lawmakers have declared their intention to abolish elections, aligning with President Daniel Ortega’s recent statement that elections will no longer occur—an announcement that has sparked international condemnation.
The announcement was made on Tuesday by Nicaragua’s congress, dominated by Ortega and his wife, Rosario Murillo. Plans for a constitutional overhaul aim to solidify the country’s “peace, security, and stability,” according to the lawmakers.
This decision fulfills Ortega’s promise to eliminate elections, thereby further restricting the opposition’s already limited avenues to challenge a government ruled by Ortega and Murillo. Recent constitutional amendments have elevated Murillo from vice president to the novel position of “co-president.”
“No more elections will happen here for them to attempt to seize the government and take power from us,” proclaimed Ortega during a speech on Sunday, marking the anniversary of the 1979 Sandinista revolution, which he partook in to overthrow the U.S.-backed regime of Anastasio Somoza.
Nicaragua’s President Daniel Ortega said officials in the Central American country will no longer hold elections. (REUTERS/Leonardo Fernandez Viloria)
“The days when parties backed by the Yankees (United States) and the Somocistas would return to power are over — never again,” he declared.
The declaration appeared to eliminate the possibility of a future electoral challenge as Ortega and Murillo continue consolidating control over the country’s political institutions.
Ortega and Murillo expanded their authority through sweeping constitutional changes that took effect in 2025. The reforms included extending the presidential term from five years to six and placing the legislative, judicial and electoral institutions under the authority of the presidency.
The pair now exercise control over nearly every branch of government, including the armed forces, police and judiciary.
Ortega, Nicaragua’s longest-serving leader, has remained in power until early 2028, although his statement on Sunday effectively canceled Nicaragua’s next elections, which had been scheduled for November 2027.
Critics say Ortega had already effectively eliminated meaningful electoral competition during elections in 2011, 2016 and 2021.
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President Daniel Ortega’s promise to abolish elections prompted widespread condemnation from the international community. (Carlos Becerra/Bloomberg)
Many prominent opposition leaders have been imprisoned, forced into exile or stripped of their Nicaraguan citizenship, while opposition parties and independent civic organizations have lost their legal status.
A United Nations group of experts has accused the Ortega-Murillo government of systematically violating human rights as part of a campaign to eliminate criticism and preserve its hold on power. The experts said some alleged violations may amount to crimes against humanity.
The government launched a violent crackdown on anti-government protests in 2018. More than 300 people were killed during the unrest, according to international human rights groups.
Ortega’s effort to abolish elections prompted widespread condemnation from foreign governments, including the U.S.
“Daniel Ortega’s declaration that under his family’s dictatorship, Nicaragua will never again hold elections lays bare their true authoritarian nature. Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo have abandoned even the pretense of popular consent,” U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday.
“The Nicaraguan people have the right to choose their own leaders through democratic elections. The United States calls on the international community to join forces to demonstrate to the Murillo-Ortega dictatorship that it cannot expect to maintain business as usual with other nations when it is thwarting the basic tenets of our democratic hemisphere,” he added.
The move to abolish elections was announced by Nicaragua’s congress, which is firmly in the hands of President Daniel Ortega and his wife, Rosario Murillo. (INTI OCON/AFP)
The Trump administration has described the Ortega-Murillo government as a dictatorship and imposed sanctions on members of the government and their allies. The State Department has also enacted visa restrictions targeting more than 2,350 Nicaraguan officials and their family members.
Volker Türk, the United Nations’ high commissioner for human rights, denounced Nicaragua’s legislative ambitions on Wednesday, saying that “people of all political viewpoints must be allowed to vote and run for office.”
“These latest developments further deepen the severe restrictions on fundamental freedoms, the dismantling of civic space, and the steady erosion of the rule of law,” Türk said in a statement.