Local opinion: Election integrity is a team sport

The newly released ASU poll regarding the public’s attitudes about safe elections caused me to reflect upon my election experiences. As an educator and coach, I helped students and student-athletes to translate their talents and goals into action plans for success. During those same four decades, I’ve been a Party volunteer performing tasks that allowed me to connect with campaigns, voters and voting officials. My sense that Pima County elections are in good shape, is based on viewing elections from both inside and outside our local processes. And all of you voters can help ensure the validity of our vote by joining Team Election Integrity.

Begin with your ballot. Your ballot’s your voice and the foundation of our democratic processes. In our upcoming City election, all voted ballots will go through a multi-step process before being tabulated. Be sure to mail in or drop off your ballot early to get your process started! Follow your ballot’s journey on the Pima website. Only “write in” legitimate candidates on your ballot. Every “write in” ballot must be hand duplicated by a multi-party team of workers in order to be counted. Scribbling “Mickey Mouse” or your family pet’s name will slow down the tabulation process. Let’s get our ballots counted quickly and accurately.

Plan your pathway to involvement: Become a Precinct Committeemen with your county Party. Call the Pima County Republican, Democrat or Libertarian Party Office and have a conversation. Become a representative of your neighborhood and part of extensive Party structures that reach to the national level. Opportunities begin with becoming a PC.

Every valid competition needs excellent oversight. Through your Party, become a trained volunteer Observer in polling centers or the county processing centers. You could be a paid worker on the various ballot vetting teams. This City election will be smaller than most elections but will still need a team of Party workers. On the Recorder.pima.gov site I noticed a number of intermittent elections positions available where you might get paid to represent your Party. Jump in!

Get to know the many protocols of ballot tabulation. What are Ballot Boards? How are ballots cured? What does the County Recorder do in the Election process?

One component of all elections is the Logic and Accuracy testing of tabulation machines. Election officials will pre-test and post-test the machines to ensure their accuracy. Party observers must be present. For large elections, the Arizona Secretary of State sends a team to every county to verify the accuracy of the tabulation machines. It’s a great time to ask election officials specific questions about our protocols and the machinery.

I’m an unpaid Party observer in the Tabulation Room who teams with observers from the other recognized Parties. Before each counting session, we verify that the security seals on the entrances to the Tabulation Room and security locks on the tab machines are intact. We inventory and catalog the batches of vetted ballots prior to counting. We may observe each machine and operator, up close. After tabulation, we ensure that every ballot in the room is accounted for before the batches are locked in secure storage. We’re given a record of the daily tabulation. Finally, all entrances to the Tabulation Room are secured, and we’re escorted from the facility. I consider the Tab Room a tag-team event with my counterparts from the other Parties. You can observe the Tab Room around the clock on the county Election website.

I’ve always enjoyed working with candidates and elected officials. I’ve experienced many amazing political activities. But, over the years, I’ve come to realize my privilege is being a part of Team Election Integrity, helping safeguard our voting process. Please reach out and join Team EI. We need your voice.