This article was originally published in Military Times.

As former senior defense officials and military leaders, we strongly urge Congress to pass bipartisan reforms of the Electoral Count Act of 1887, or ECA, before the end of this year.

In 2021, for the first time in history our nation did not have a peaceful transfer of presidential power. This was the result of attempts to use deficiencies in the ECA to overturn the results of a free and fair election. The instability that stemmed from this event continues to be a threat to our security domestically and internationally.

Our Constitution provides that power, including the president’s role of Commander in Chief and authority to utilize military force, comes from the consent of the governed gained through free and fair elections. The results of these elections should be determined according to the rules that are in place on election day. There is no place for after-the-fact arguments to twist the rules to achieve a different outcome. That path leads to political violence, instability, and a crisis of legitimacy for whomever is inaugurated as president.

Read the full article in Military Times.