I cannot support a political party whose leader refuses to concede the presidential election that he clearly lost.

Aided by his co-conspirators, including some Republican congressmen, he pushed the lie that the election was stolen from him, while he himself conspired to steal it from American voters.

He fosters the use of violence and intimidation by certain followers and offers to pardon convicted insurrectionists who stormed the U.S. Capitol to prevent the official certification of the people’s choice.

Election-denying partisans are being positioned nationwide, raising the potential for subversion of future elections. Only the Republican Party is trying to make it harder for citizens to vote.

The party supports government violation of women’s privacy rights by denying them the personal freedom to control their own bodies.

Some party members try to ban books from schools and libraries, an extremist tactic of intolerance and an assault on intellectual freedom.

For these reasons, I will vote only for Democrats and independents in November.

Richard Fortier, New Gloucester