Op-Ed: Election Integrity

The 2022 General Election has been concluded. There are still unsettling questions in Americans’ minds, such as: the red wave that should have taken place, Republican control of the Legislature, and the Arizona gubernatorial race. There is one more question though. In a recent statement, Kari Lake said that she would continue to fight until “we restore confidence and faith in our elections.” In many Americans’ minds, election integrity remains the single most important issue to be fixed. So, how would we restore confidence and faith in our elections? There are three issues that we will need to address.

First, Voter ID. The vast majority of Conservatives believe that our votes are sacred. Casting multiple votes, or casting votes pretending to be somebody else, amounts to stealing one’s right to universal suffrage. To protect this right, voters must identify themselves. Of course, this right is being pushed back by the Left, citing discrimination. This is an excuse that I cannot wrap my head around, as it is so far off from any sensible logic. Much has been said on this topic already. I would simply add that Voter ID is essential to restore confidence and faith in our elections.

Second, Ballot Harvesting and Absentee Ballots. Although technically two issues, they are related, in that the voter is not casting his vote in person. Some states do allow for ballot harvesting, as absentee ballots are collected and delivered to election offices. I understand that absentee ballots should be permitted, such as allowing military personnel to vote. A compromise would be for the citizens to request absentee ballots every time there is an election rather than perpetuate the request. Coincidently, in every state the pool of voters contains errors. These include people that have moved or are deceased. A combination of Voter ID and permitting absentee ballots on a single election basis will eliminate many of the fraudulent issues.

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Third, Check the Machines. The issue of voting machines not reporting the result properly has become a big issue since the 2020 Presidential Election. Many feel that that election was stolen from us. Many Conservatives have been asking for the return of hand counts. This is not likely to happen as most people demand to know the result of an election at the end of the day. Hand counting will never be able to produce same-day results. A system to check the machine’s accuracy using Statistics rules would be beneficial. Before any further discussions, a brief background description is in order.

Election results are data, and can therefore be checked and verified for accuracy. For example, if sample ballots with known results are inserted and the vote-counting machines return a result that differs from the actual result, then we would know to reject the fraudulent report. There are many, many ways to check the accuracy of these machines. It is also important to note that the verification process must not be fixed. It must vary from year to year or election to election. Otherwise, those responsible for hacking the machines will find ways to overcome the verification process.

Additionally, checking the voting machines should not take too much time. These machines are fast, and the entire verification process should take very little time. Most importantly, election results will not be delayed. It is also important to note that just about every State in the Union, including the State of Idaho, has existing laws to audit the election. These laws, however, only verify the handling of the ballots. They cannot be used to verify the accuracy of the voting machines.

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In conclusion, to have true election integrity, we need to enact a comprehensive plan for Voter ID, eliminate Ballot Harvesting, and institute procedures to check the accuracy of the Voting Machines. Until we do all three of these things, election fraud will continue. All elected officials must understand the importance of Election Integrity, and seek ways to approve these measures.

Art da Rosa, PE, MPA, Inkom, ID

This Op-Ed was submitted by Art da Rosa. Op-Eds do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of those at the Idaho Dispatch.