How unsubstantiated Allegations of fraud harm our elections

How+unsubstantiated+Allegations+of+fraud+harm+our+elections

Rob, Staff Writer

In an attempt to increase viewership, the mainstream media and the current administration have magnified claims of voter fraud, leading to a misconception surrounding the individuals who keep our elections safe and count our ballots.

   In recent months, there have been many endeavors to provide evidence of voter fraud in several states including NY; however to date, none of these attempts have been successful. In Fact, there have been many indicators that show election security has become more prevalent this year due to the implementation of technology. 

Last week I had the pleasure of visiting the Ontario County Board of Elections to discuss the process of elections and the security surrounding them. I was pleasantly surprised to discover an element of bipartisanship between the poll workers and the directors. While I was only able to witness the counting of absentee ballots, it was clear that there was a distinct and clear attempt to ensure that every legal and fair ballot was counted. 

Ontario county

During my tour of the facility, security was paramount. There were several locations in which ballots were being stored and counted. To gain access to these locations, a key would be required. There was also a CCTV security camera system to make certain that no individual could tamper with ballots.

Ballots in a secure location

 

Another important aspect of Ontario county’s board of elections is the vote-counting process. Before ballots are run through a machine, they must be checked by a human to make sure that they are filled out correctly. If a ballot is filled out incorrectly, the poll workers will attempt to determine who the voter wanted to vote for. 

However if it is unclear who the individual was trying to vote for, the ballot will unfortunately not be counted. The people checking these ballots are both registered Republicans and Democrats alike. This is to ensure that there is no bias in the vote-counting process. 

A big misconception surrounding this election was the idea of mail-in ballots. According to Mr. Evangelist, the Democrat election commissioner for Ontario County, there is no difference between mail-in and traditional absentee ballots. 

Absentee ballots have been used for years to ensure that people who are not physically capable of making it to the polling stations are still able to cast a vote. However this year, there has been a significant influx in the number of absentee ballots that have been cast due to the effects of covid-19. This is why it has taken certain states longer than is typically expected to count votes. These ballots are counted in a secure matter that leaves no room for fraud to occur.      

When discussing election security with Mr. Northrop, the Republican election commissioner for Ontario county, the topic of Dominion election ballot-counting machines came up. These machines have received backlash in recent weeks because it is believed by some that they are responsible for manipulated election results.

Dominion Voting machine

 However, Mr. Northrup assured me that these machines were some of the most secure in the world. When asked about accusations of a fraudulent software update to these machines just days before the election, Mr. Northrop responded by saying that the machines were all independent of one another, therefore it would take weeks to install such an update. 

Domain voting machines

My experience with the Ontario county board of election has shined a light on how truly safe our ballots are. It has also made clear that while the lawsuits filed by the president are legal, they have done nothing but muddy the waters and spread misinformation to the American people. I do not doubt in my mind that the election in this state and every state was fair but also that the voice of the American people was heard loud and clear.