Local government officials play a leading role in the administration of elections in our country. Generally, they are trusted because they understand their communities and how to best serve their constituents. But malicious actors and conspiracy theorists are increasingly spreading dangerous myths about election officials and how elections are conducted. This made their job more difficult and more dangerous.
As a former election official who worked in Georgia, Texas, and Washington, D.C., I’m here to correct some of the misconceptions that undermine our democracy.
Myth: Certification of election results is voluntary.
Fact: Certification is required by law.
Verification (also known as certification) of election results is a routine administrative step that occurs at the end of the vote counting process. At this point, election board members will submit the voting results to the Secretary of State. This step is required in all 50 states and ensures that your calculations are correct. This is not an examination of the integrity of elections, nor is it a selection.
Prior to certification, election officials have already taken a series of mandatory steps to ensure that votes are counted accurately and that any issues or questions regarding fraud are resolved. Ensuring elections are fair is already built into the process.
In recent years, some election officials have refused to certify election results. This tactic, carried out in the name of “ensuring the integrity of elections,” is actually aimed at sowing distrust among the people. The denial of certification would delay election results within an already tight timeline and disrupt a system that has proven effective for decades. Furthermore, these challenges not successful-They consistently fail in court; Those who brought them in are facing criminal charges..
Myth: Our election process is not secure.
Fact: Safeguards against election fraud and interference are in place and working.
Every state has strict laws and security provisions to protect elections. After each election cycle, authorities review and update these protocols to implement new laws passed by state legislatures. From 2020 onwards, 92% of election administrators We have taken important steps to improve election security and strengthen infrastructure.
Local election authorities test voting equipment, update electoral rolls, and produce public reports on election results before Election Day. On election night, officials will implement all ballot custody procedures, ensure security protocols are implemented at polling places, and ensure all eligible ballots are counted. Masu. Keeping elections secure is a fundamental part of their job.
Mail-in ballots and drop boxes, tools that increase voting access and make it easier for citizens to participate in elections, unfortunately face unfounded attacks. thorough investigation It is always considered safe and reliable.
Myth: Frivolous challenges cost nothing.
Fact: Challenges and threats by malicious actors can deplete local resources and lead to prohibitive taxpayer costs.
Frivolous legal challenges and continuous public records requests by bad actors drain resources and take time and energy away from important election work.
When I was an election official, I regularly received five to 10 public records requests each day, resulting in hundreds of requests to respond to in the lead-up to an election.
Officials pride themselves on transparency and welcome legitimate public records requests, but weaponizing these requests distracts from their primary job of administering elections and ultimately costs them money. The burden is on the taxpayers.
Myth: People are committing widespread voter fraud.
Fact: People are not voting in more than one place or registering in a place they don’t live. or vote illegally as a non-citizen.
Despite widespread myths, research and the study Actual voter fraud has been shown to be extremely rare and nearly impossible to achieve, according to the Brennan Center and other reputable bipartisan and nonpartisan organizations.
Allegations that people are voting illegally or voting multiple times are completely unfounded. In my experience as an election administrator, I have never seen a non-citizen attempt to vote, and if a registration error occurred, it was unintentional.
In addition, multiple checks are conducted to ensure that voters are U.S. citizens. Each state uses information from the federal Social Security Administration and state Department of Transportation to verify voters’ identities. Allegations of large-scale mail-in voting fraud have also been exaggerated. Jurisdictions follow rigorous processes to verify and count mail-in ballots to ensure that only eligible votes are included. (If anything, the real flaw in our system is that too many votes are disqualified for trivial reasons.)
Myth: Administrative errors are a sign of fraud.
Fact: Errors are rare and accidental, and processes exist to identify and correct them.
Despite their best efforts, election officials face administrative problems because elections are large-scale human operations, often staffed by people who participate only a few days a year. It may happen. Therefore, prior to results being certified, we will review and double-check candidate information, prepare ballots, tabulate ballots, and report on election night to discover and correct potential administrative errors. Procedures are in place.
Despite challenges to the election results; administrative error Since the 2022 election, very few election results have been overturned due to fraud.
Myths about fraud and abuse may make headlines, but they don’t represent reality. Our election system is the safest and most secure in the world. This is possible thanks to a strong, durable, and transparent system with safeguards and processes that are faithfully followed by the thousands of election officials who work every day to ensure every vote is counted fairly. It has become. As Election Day approaches, it’s important to trust election officials and the election system and ignore the noise and frivolous accusations.
More must-read commentary published by luck:
The opinions expressed in Fortune.com commentary articles are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the author’s opinions or beliefs. luck.
Join some of the brightest minds and boldest leaders in business at the Fortune Global Forum in New York City on November 11th and 12th. Thought-provoking sessions and off-the-record discussions will feature Fortune 500 CEOs, former Cabinet members, global ambassadors, seven-time world champion Tom Brady, and more.
See the full agenda or request an invitation here.
