Election Security in Montesano

Election Security in Montesano

07/23/20 Editorial:

With the current national debate concerning Vote By Mail, it might be a learning moment to examine just what can and does go wrong.  Even in our local little several thousand vote area.

Recently, my wife called me into the office to look at the double primary ballots she had received in the mail.  Double?  I chortled.  

Sure enough there were two big identical envelopes. 

“Don’t open them I said, it may be illegal”.

I then called the county auditor office and inquired.  I was told that there was a mistake and that the SECURITY SLEEVE that you are supposed to put your SECRET BALLOT into and then mail in was left out of the original mailing.

hmmmmmm

So much for the unknown percentage of voters that mailed in their ballots already easily read by anyone that wanted to read it.   Who you voted for, what proposition you voted against.  Everything.  Quite valuable information in this digital age to attack you for your political beliefs.   Wouldn’t you agree?

This might be a good time to recap what is happening to people who wear a red cap in public.  One is also reminded of the not too long ago county employee who was warning subjects of arrest warrants and officers coming their way to arrest them.  It does happen.

I don’t want to jump off the conspiracy cliff here.  The county auditor and office is a well run place.  I don’t fault them for making a mistake.   My issue is that a mistake is possible. Do they have a rouge employee there or in the post office that handled the unsecured ballots?  Who knows, time will tell.  And don’t anyone try and tell me it never happens.  Just ask any police officer if he will he eat food he doesn’t watch being prepared.

The danger of this particular situation is to magnify it on a national scale.  What can go wrong will.  Count on it.

The social construct of a SECRET BALLOT is paramount to our democracy.  If there is even a question of security, many people just won’t vote.  

Here in Washington State, the entire process is mail voting.  Over the years I personally have heard countless stories of ballots being delivered to the dead and the moved.  

Am I being paranoid in thinking that there is gold in harvesting those ballots or the secret information inside?  Eh, you decide.

Make no mistake, should a nationwide process of voting by mail begin to go forward, our trust in the election system will erode quickly.  

For those of you reading this out of the area, it really is that bad, and that insecure.

TF