Maintaining Integrity in Elections
Elections integrity has been at the forefront of local and national news since 2016. We hear daily about potential security breaches, manipulated social media, and schemes to access sensitive voter information. But integrity is about more than ensuring accurate Election Day results and thwarting cyberattacks on voter registration databases.
Integrity means that we can trust our local election authorities to listen and respond to voters’ concerns in an effectively and timely manner. When I began handling voter complaints as the coordinator of the Secretary of State’s Elections Integrity Unit in 2013, I heard about every manner of elections-related problem, from voter registration issues to clarifications about candidate qualifications. In that first year, the Unit responded to 97 complaints — 20 complaints were referred to local prosecutors or agencies and 8 resulted in full reviews and recommendations from the Secretary of State’s Office. Each and every complainant also received a response from the Unit to assure them that their concern had been heard.
My time with the Elections Integrity Unit and as deputy director of elections also introduced me to the security realities that election officials face — and successfully manage — everyday. Cyberattacks have become the new normal in our increasingly digital world, but Missouri’s election officials have tools, resources, and legal protections available to handle them. This past month, I had the opportunity to participate in cybersecurity training through The Center for Technology and Civic Life, which highlighted the importance of identifying, protecting, detecting, responding to, and recovering from attacks. These skills are critical for local election authorities to ensure computerized systems like our voter registration database and polling place iPads are not compromised. Missouri law also includes procedures that prevent fraud on an individual level. Voter registration records are regularly canvassed for accuracy and local election authorities have the authority to investigate any improper voter registration brought to their attention. After each election, registration records are cross-referenced with polling place records to reflect whether the voter actually voted during the election, providing an additional check in the extremely rare case that a voter attempts to cast two ballots on Election Day.
Finally, integrity means that every voter receives transparent and ongoing communication with their government, especially local officials like the county clerk. Good communication is engaging with the public well before a problem occurs or a complaint is lodged. Elections are the core of our democracy and county clerks have the responsibility to encourage and facilitate participation throughout our communities. The more conversation takes place between local election authorities and voters, the more integrity is introduced into the process. Inviting voters to events like open houses, voting equipment testing, and even poll worker training helps educate the public on how elections work.
Integrity is about trust — we need to know that elections are appropriately run, that safeguards are working, and, most importantly, that the information the public receives is straightforward and honest. After all, perfect election results are meaningless if we lack public trust and confidence in the process.
