This year’s midterms were a triumph for free, fair, and safe elections. Over the past year, there have been concerns that immigration enforcement at polling locations, increased federal scrutiny of local election administration, and other issues could suppress turnout or cause chaos.

None of this came to pass. This is not a coincidence; it is the result of the hard work of secretaries of state, local election officials, and millions of everyday people who serve as poll workers. It is the result of Americans coming together across their differences to advocate for each other’s right to vote without fear of violence or intimidation. And it is the result of an Administration choosing restraint after overreach was met with resistance in communities throughout America.

This week saw record turnout in multiple states and many historic victories. In a deeply divided country, citizens still chose to demand change through their ballots rather than violence. And the candidates from both parties who lost elections have chosen to accept the will of the people and concede their races.

Our free and fair elections are not a miracle. They take an extraordinary amount of work. They cannot be maintained by any one political party or ideological movement. The institutions of our republic — no matter how well designed — will crumble if they are not held up by all of us.

This week, Americans stepped up and delivered a free and fair election and secured this all-important pillar of American life.