WASHINGTON, D.C. – The following statement was issued by Janis Searles Jones (@InVeritas_Jones), CEO of Ocean Conservancy:

“As much as we might want to close the book on the election season, the most important thing in our democracy is that every vote counts, and we must count every vote. It’s our job as citizens and as part of civil society to hold our government accountable for a free and fair electoral process. The process of the 2020 election is simply different. With more mail-in ballots than ever before, it will take longer than usual to count them all. As members of civil society, Ocean Conservancy and our members are a critical part of a functional democracy. So as advocates for a clean and healthy ocean for all, we have a role to play in supporting democracy. It is critical that we remain steadfast and stay united.”