Election fraud rare; ask observers

Normally, we like our tedium rare. But this election season, we could use some boredom, especially as ballots are cast and counted. Yes, some routine, humdrum monotony would be just the ticket.

Fortunately, that’s what we usually get in Spokane County and throughout the state. Just ask the election observers this year.

“Oh yeah, it’s very boring to watch democracy in action,” said Jim CastroLang, the chairman of the Spokane County Democrats, in a Spokesman-Review article. “But sometimes the most boring things are the most important things.”

Dave Moore, chairman of the Spokane County Republican Party, said: “I’ve worked with the election people. They are doing a pretty good job of keeping up on things.”

And while he’s not certain that’s the case everywhere, he said, “I’m confident that we have integrity in our system, but the observers are really what make the system work.”

The Republicans have about 20 observers watching county election workers go about their tasks at the Spokane County Courthouse. The Democrats have twice that many.

Observers ensure that workers aren’t making mistakes or doing something nefarious. Spokane County Auditor Vicky Dalton welcomes their presence, because it provides more certainty that the process is being run honestly.

As elections officials and observers can tell you, ballot handling and vote counting is decentralized. Counties have varying methods and different equipment. Ballot tabulating machines are not connected to the internet. All of this makes election rigging highly unlikely.

The closer people are to the process, the less likely they are to believe in wild claims of hijacked elections. But that doesn’t stop the spread of baseless conspiracies on social media and elsewhere.

An Oregon prankster altered his ballot to make it look like Donald Trump was left off. Before he confessed, his fabrication was shared far and wide, and taken seriously.

Reports of “vote-flipping,” where the machine records the wrong choice, have occurred in Texas, North Carolina and Nevada. But voters can see it occurring, and it can be corrected on the spot. Or voters can request a paper ballot. Some of these machines are quite old and in need of replacement, and there’s no evidence that this is being done intentionally.

In a National Public Radio report, Larry Norden, with the Brennan Center for Justice, said, “If you were actually trying to rig an election, it would be a very stupid thing to do, to let the voter know that you were doing it.”

This election is unusual, because a candidate at the top of the ticket, Donald Trump, makes irresponsible claims that it’s being rigged. He urges supporters to go to polling places to watch.

There’s no need. Seasoned observers are already there. And the process promises to be boring. Just the way we like it.

To respond to this editorial online, go to www.spokesman.com and click on “Opinion.”