Respect election officials to preserve democracy, says an Arizona county supervisor

AS AMERICANS, WE are defined by our right and privilege to vote for the representatives we choose. Our local governments administer the safe and secure elections that allow registered voters to cast their ballots. In Maricopa County—home to three-fifths of the people of , and including the city of Phoenix—we take this responsibility extremely seriously. We pride ourselves on running transparent elections that reflect the majority’s wishes.However, in the aftermath of the past two election cycles, unsuccessful candidates and their supporters have spread false information alleging that the vote counts were inaccurate. These allegations were unfounded, and the candidates who filed lawsuits in court were reminded of that again and again. I fear that the 2024 general election will unleash yet another onslaught of false election-fraud claims intended to cast doubt on the credibility of election workers in Arizona and across the country, undermining American democracy.I vividly remember how it felt seeing hundreds of armed protestors shout threats at the sheriff’s deputies standing guard outside Maricopa County’s Tabulation and Election Center in 2020. I remember the trepidation I felt being escorted to my car after long days of reassuring voters that their ballots were being counted as quickly as possible. The time it took us to count ballots was not outside the norm. But many races were close, making networks hesitant to declare results until all the votes were in. This created an air of uncertainty and hysteria that continued long after the Board of Supervisors canvassed final election results.The past two election cycles have reaffirmed the importance of communicating openly with voters to earn their trust. But we also know some people will question election results no matter how transparent we are. Some have even built large online followings and profited from sowing mistrust and doubt in our democracy. They will post incessantly on social media, spreading lies about ballot harvesting, non-citizens voting or election officials manipulating results. The most extreme critics will even threaten to pick up pitchforks and take election officials to the gallows for treason. All we can do is ignore the noise, continue prioritising accuracy over speed and aim for 95% of ballots to be counted by the end of election week.I have been asked whether the centralised administration of elections might help mitigate public controversy. However, I firmly believe that we must maintain our existing, locally run, grassroots administration of elections. As a lifelong Republican, I’ve always advocated for small government. I believe in empowering state and local municipalities to govern with their constituents’ best interests in mind. When thousands of counties and cities across the country are administering their own elections, a delicate system of checks and balances works to protect democracy and weed out the remote possibility of a calculated conspiracy to change the results. For decades this system has worked and earned the trust of voters across America.But things have changed since I was first elected to the Board of Supervisors in 2016. More eyes are on Arizona’s elections than ever before due to the state’s shifting political makeup, Maricopa County’s emergence as a political battleground and the rise of rampant conspiracy theories. And there are simply many more people in our voter pool. The county’s population grew by 140,812 people between 2020 and 2023. Population growth has slowed, but Maricopa County remains the fourth-most populous county in the country.Arizona’s lawmakers also recently expanded the winning margin that will trigger an automatic recount of votes from 0.1% to 0.5%. This may seem inconsequential. But this change substantially increases the likelihood of more automatic recounts in the 2024 general election, creating new opportunities for election misinformation to flourish.Despite these challenges, I am confident that our election professionals are ready. Since I joined the board in 2017, Maricopa County has continually enhanced its elections infrastructure, from procuring more high-speed tabulators and printers to hiring additional staff to doubling down on facility security. These investments will enable the county to handle an anticipated record-breaking voter turnout quickly and securely.More important than speed, however, is accuracy. Visitors to our Tabulation and Election Center are often surprised at the intense level of due diligence performed before and after election day, involving every ballot tabulator and accessible voting device. Tabulation happens via a secure local server that is supervised by authorised representatives from both parties and that can be livestreamed by the public. The political parties also perform a hand-count audit of the results for an extra layer of security. Staff perform a post-election accuracy test on equipment as a final check. This process works. It worked in 2020 and 2022, and it will work again in 2024.After eight years on the Board of Supervisors, I have decided not to seek re-election this year. I am proud of the work I did on the board, and despite its challenges, will look back on it fondly knowing that I made a positive difference in my community. But I am not leaving public service entirely. I will become the head of the newly formed Mechanics of Democracy Laboratory at Arizona State University. I can’t think of a more worthwhile endeavour than educating future generations on the intricacies of American democracy.As I wind down my term, I have one request to American voters. Remember that the people running elections are your family members, friends and neighbours. They are not comic-book villains with malicious intentions; they are trained, bipartisan, ethical people with a deep respect for protecting the will of the American people. As election season heats up, these folks will be working long hours to make sure every vote is counted correctly. We must stay united in prioritising their safety, expressing gratitude for their dedication and protecting the foundations of our democracy.