Democratic Representative Eric Swalwell of California warned that the upcoming midterms could be the United States' "last election."
Swalwell made the remarks during an appearance on MSNBC's All In with Chris Hayes.
The California Democrat expressed concern laws to restrict voter access will ultimately have a detrimental impact on democracy.
You can hear what he said in the video below.
Swalwell said:
“I'm worried that if Republicans win in the midterm elections, that voting as we know it in this country will be gone. This is not only the most important election. If we don't get it right, it could be the last election.”
Noting Republican lawmakers have worked to supress the vote in states across the USA as part of an effort to regain control of the House of Representatives, Swalwell added:
“They're already putting as many barriers to the ballot box as possible in Arizona, Florida, Texas, Georgia. And on the other side of the finish line, they're putting in place, processes where they could reverse the outcome even if we crawl through glass and run through the fire to get to the ballot box."
"If they are able to win the House, the damage they could do, you know, to permanently make it difficult to vote and just alter the way that we participate in a democratic process could be irreversible.”
Swalwell encouraged all eligible voters to make sure they are registered to vote and later shared the link to a voter registration site via his official Twitter account.
Observing Republicans "have chosen violence over voting," he urged his audience to "outvote the violence."
Every politician says this is the most important election of our lifetime. It may be. But it could also be the last one. Republicans have chosen violence over voting. We have to outvote the violence. Saddle up:https://www.iWillVote.com— Rep. Eric Swalwell (@Rep. Eric Swalwell) 1641153100
Many share Swalwell's concerns and have amplified his call for all qualified voters to vote.
Use your right to vote or lose it! The #midterms are existential to our continued #democracy . If you live overseas, register and request your ballot https://VoteFromAbroad.Org\u00a0 @vfaglobal @DemsAbroadhttps://twitter.com/allinwithchris/status/1478181139403710470\u00a0\u2026— Democrats Abroad Israel \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8\ud83e\udd1d\ud83c\uddee\ud83c\uddf1 (@Democrats Abroad Israel \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8\ud83e\udd1d\ud83c\uddee\ud83c\uddf1) 1641365472
I just wish our civic organizations would sound this alarm instead of advocating as if it is business as usual. Sending post cards and getting excited with a super minority freshman state legislator files a bill for a ending partisan gerrymandering is so very shortsighted!https://twitter.com/allinwithchris/status/1478181139403710470\u00a0\u2026— Debbie Asberry (@Debbie Asberry) 1641350412
Heck yeah, y'all. Saddle up & get ready to vote.https://twitter.com/RepSwalwell/status/1477729324530909186\u00a0\u2026— Lyra Halprin (@Lyra Halprin) 1641253858
He's 100% right and I'm 100% terrified.https://twitter.com/allinwithchris/status/1478181139403710470\u00a0\u2026— Benson+Stabler | EO is endgame \ud83d\udcaf (@Benson+Stabler | EO is endgame \ud83d\udcaf) 1641308639
Please everyone double check that you are registered to vote. You can check easily right here. Also vote blue to save our democracy. PLEASE AND THANK YOU #StrongerTogetherhttps://twitter.com/repswalwell/status/1477729324530909186\u00a0\u2026— Bluewave (@Bluewave) 1641185454
Youbetcha. Won\u2019t miss voting in 2022 and 2024.https://twitter.com/RepSwalwell/status/1477729324530909186\u00a0\u2026— Barry M and Obie Wan (@Barry M and Obie Wan) 1641219345
There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that if they win the midterms this country as we know it will cease to exist.https://twitter.com/allinwithchris/status/1478181139403710470\u00a0\u2026— \ud83d\udc60Beyond Blonde \ud83d\udc60 (@\ud83d\udc60Beyond Blonde \ud83d\udc60) 1641318002
Take this seriously folks!https://twitter.com/allinwithchris/status/1478181139403710470\u00a0\u2026— Retired CFO (@Retired CFO) 1641306035
Swalwell's warning comes just days after Thomas Homer-Dixon, a Canadian political science professor who is the founding director of the Cascade Institute at Royal Roads University in British Columbia, cautioned that the United States could be ruled by a "rightwing dictatorship" by 2030.
Homer-Dixon's stark warning came by way an op-ed he wrote in The Globe and Mail. He criticized former President Donald Trump, saying that should Trump decide to run for office again, it would further the "collapse" of American democracy by 2025.
Homer-Dixon argued that former President Donald Trump, who has often been criticized for promoting a deconstruction of the administrative state, would continue to remove the guardrails of American democracy purging the government of his political opponents, including "the bureaucrats, officials and technocrats who oversee the non-partisan functioning of core institutions and abide by the rule of law."
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