The following is the opinion and analysis of the writer:
Don Henninger
With Arizona’s primaries now in the rearview mirror, all attention turns to November’s general election. But before moving forward, it’s important to acknowledge that the security of our state’s election process allowed this round of primary voting to occur without controversy or conflict. This is a great sign and should go far in ensuring public confidence in our elections.
Last month, however, a situation in Washoe County outside of Reno, reminded us of why the election certification process is important. As in Arizona, every locality in Nevada must complete an election certification before the vote tally can be finalized. In this case, a pair of Washoe County commissioners initially voted against certifying a slate of local election results from their primary. Then, the commissioners reversed their decision and certified the results after being presented with overwhelming evidence of the election’s integrity and accurate vote counts and mass public and legal pressure to follow the state’s election code.
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This raises concerns about the potential for similar issues in Arizona in November. It shouldn’t be the case.
As long as the ballots have been counted, recounted if necessary, canvassed and reviewed, and there aren’t any mistakes, the results must be certified. Doing otherwise is against the law, and it also is practically impossible due to the checks and balances in place to ensure the security of our elections.
Arizona has many built-in processes for verification and review before, during and after votes are cast that guarantee the accuracy of the results. There are public inspections of voting machines, confirmation of eligibility before a person can register to vote, confirmation of identity before they can cast ballots and verification of ballots from early voting, Election Day and via mail. Arizona election officials carefully follow these procedures to ensure exactly one vote per eligible voter is counted. Before finalizing the results, officials double-check and sometimes triple-check the final vote count to ensure accuracy.
Also, everyday Arizonans are responsible for keeping our elections fair. They’re our friends from church, our next-door neighbors and the volunteers from our kids’ schools. Election officials and poll workers in Arizona receive rigorous training on the election process, rules and laws, and people from both parties are involved in protecting the process. They are there to help our democracy run smoothly, and they take this duty seriously.
Finally, transparency is a fundamental aspect of Arizona’s elections. The state has various measures to ensure that every part of the electoral process is open and accessible to the public. This includes detailed reporting on the steps taken during the election and providing avenues for public scrutiny. As a result, voters can have confidence in the integrity and fairness of the outcomes.
We can hope that the worst of the election certification issues are behind us, but as the recent case in Nevada showed us, we must remain vigilant.
Let’s end this cycle of fruitless objections. As we look forward to November’s general election, Arizona officials must resist the temptation to undermine our elections for their own political gain and commit to following the law by certifying the results of the people’s votes, supported by the built-in processes that keep our elections secure.
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Arizona Daily Star
Don Henninger is co-lead of the Arizona Democracy Resilience Network.
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Publish date : 2024-08-26 03:01:00
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