Richmond Times-Dispatch Column: Richmond elections are safe, secure
By Keith Baumer, Richmond City Registrar | October 2
“I do solemnly swear that I will perform the duties for this election according to law, and to the best of my ability, and that I will studiously endeavor to prevent fraud, deceit, and abuse in conducting this election.”
This is the oath administered to hundreds of election officers who serve the voters of our city before each and every election.
Weeks before the first voter shows up, our election officers receive training in accordance with Virginia law. They learn the importance of ballot security, chain of custody, open and close tapes, poll-book management, and the process of reporting unofficial results. Election officers also receive training to ensure professional conduct, integrity and public transparency.
On Election Day, our election officers serve a critical role. They are, in essence, the heartbeat of our elections. These officers help ensure citizens are able to exercise their voice, which is the hallmark of our democracy.
Whether they are a first-time voter, a military veteran, a voter with a disability or a voter in need of language assistance, our election officers will make sure that citizens cast their ballots with confidence. Election officers are crucial in ensuring faith in our democratic process, and the responsibilities they bear are as essential to our Constitution as any other public office in the commonwealth of Virginia.
This year, more than any other, questions have been raised regarding the sanctity of our elections. As your general registrar, I am writing here to assure the public: Our elections are safe, secure and epitomize the expression of democracy that we all hold dear in these United States.
Elections in Virginia were not always conducted in such a determined, nonpartisan and professional way.
I am not referring to concerns about any recent election. I am referring to our history in Virginia of systemic voter disenfranchisement and discrimination based on sex, race and age prior to the civil rights movement, the Voting Rights Act and the passage of the civil rights amendments to the U.S. Constitution.
Thankfully, our election laws today are not like those of the past. All citizens should be proud of the U.S. Constitution, the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the election laws that our officers swear an oath to support.
I implore all Richmonders to trust in our election system. It is administered by election officers who are your neighbors, friends, family members and fellow citizens just like you.
There are procedures in place to ensure ballots are accounted for and systemically counted. Every ballot used in an election is one that has been specifically requested by a voter, either by mail, or during in-person voting.
Absentee ballots sent by mail are labeled with unique barcodes, have special return envelopes, and come with instructions on how to track them as they journey through the U.S. Postal Service mail system.
If you choose to return your ballot by using one of our voter drop boxes, just know that our drop boxes are constructed of durable material able to withstand vandalism, removal and inclement weather. These secure boxes are monitored by a video surveillance system. They are locked and secured. And the ballots inside are removed daily by sworn election officers.
For accountability, every voter who casts a ballot is assigned a voter credit, which acts as a historical record that their vote was counted. Every voter has access to their individual voter credit by accessing their voter record on the Department of Elections website. This information is usually available a few days after the election.
Finally, paper records from every election are readily available in archives at the Office of the Clerk of the Court for two years.
On election night, our election officers count the results and report them to the Office of Elections. And during the seven-day, post-election period known as “The Election Canvass,” my staff and our Electoral Board conduct an audit of the election night results to ensure that they are 100% accurate.
This is not easy work. The hours are long. It is far from glamorous. But for those of us who work in elections, our commitment as election officers is rooted in an unshakable sense of civic duty.
We swear an oath to defend our elections, election law and our shared Constitution. And when you come to cast your vote, whether it is early voting, voting by mail or joining us all to celebrate democracy on Election Day, I invite everyone to have faith in the hard work of our fellow citizens who have taken the time to conduct the weighty duty of our electoral oath.
“I do solemnly swear …”
