Donald Trump just announced that he’s running for President – and in his speech, he repeated bizarre and false claims about the 2020 election, demanded a litany of anti-voter measures, and signaled his plans to double down on his failed strategy of election sabotage.

We don’t need to tell you how grave a threat to democracy this is. Our country is still reeling from his desperate attempts to overturn his loss in the 2020 election – and the Big Lie he spun up without a shred of evidence incited a wave of anti-voter legislation, rampant disinformation, and worst of all, the deadly January 6th attack.

Common Cause called for Trump’s impeachment immediately after that horrific day – in part because a conviction would bar him from ever holding office again. And unfortunately, the Senate’s failure to hold him accountable hasn’t changed the danger he poses to our democracy.

We keep a strict policy of non-partisanship and do not endorse or oppose candidates running for office – which means we’re not beholden to any party, and can deliver pro-democracy wins in red, blue, and purple states.

But, we know our core mission of protecting democracy and upholding the rule of law means opposing any attempts to sabotage our elections, throw out legitimate votes, or seize power over the will of the people – a strategy Trump and his acolytes have now openly endorsed for 2024.

Here’s a truth we can’t lose sight of: The fights that matter for 2024 are coming sooner than you think, and they won’t take place on TV, but in state legislatures across the country.

Here’s our plan of response: We must immediately work to shore up safeguards in the states that Trump tried to overturn results in for 2020 – like Arizona and Pennsylvania. That’s especially important now as we brace for another round of disinformation about closely-contested 2022 elections in those states from Trump-endorsed election deniers.

With your help, we can mount a steadfast defense against likely voter suppression legislation in these states’ 2023 legislative sessions – and be prepared to take them to court if necessary to uphold voters’ rights.

We also must continue our work to secure a simple pledge from every legislator in Congress and in the states: Will you respect the will of voters in 2024, or will you throw in with Trump and his accomplices’ corrupt efforts to overrule voters who don’t support him?

And – because we know that online disinformation was like kindling for Trump’s Big Lie in 2020, we’ll need to ramp up our efforts to hold platforms like Facebook and Twitter accountable, and stop them from letting debunked conspiracy theories about our elections go viral.

If you’re like me, you’re exhausted after this marathon midterm election – whether you volunteered at the polls, donated to a cause you believe in, or just kept up to date on the news.

But Trump’s announcement – and his decision to double down on his strategy of denial and disinformation – mean that what happens in state legislatures in the coming months will make all the difference for whether the 2024 election is free and fair. We need to get to work immediately.