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Op-ed: Pennsylvania: Keep Calm and Vote

By Amy Widestrom, Susan Gobreski

November 4, 2024

Voting is core to American democracy. When we cast a ballot, we choose the representatives and policies that affect our lives and the freedom and rights we value.The right to vote must be protected for all. 

Election Day is the last day to cast our ballots, but not the end of the process. Once polls close, the crucial work of counting every vote begins: each ballot and result must be verified, securely processed, and accurately counted. While we may all be eager to know who wins, we should take pride in the systems that prioritize accuracy over speed. 

We have good reasons to be confident in the systems that safeguard our elections.They are designed to detect problems, identify errors, resolve issues that arise, and revised to prevent future problems. Voting infrastructure has become more secure and transparent, not less.

Whatever the outcome, our votes must be respected. We have seen partisan actors spreading disinformation to cast doubt in our election process for political gain. We must reject fear-mongering and lies.

There are numerous checks and balances: poll-workers are local and sworn to follow the law in a non-partisan manner; there are rules that provide for observation of election processes for transparency, but those rules include protections against malicious disruption; local election officials must follow rules and not impose personal opinion on the process; machines and counts are verified, and there are risk-limiting audits. There are legal avenues to pursue when there are questions, but claims must be based on evidence. 

It is more important than ever for voters to rely on verifiable information. Rumors and misinformation erode public trust. 

So what should we do when we hear rumors or reports? Stay calm. We must remember that rumors are not verified reports. When there is a verified issue, it means the system is working to catch it; it is not evidence of a widespread problem. Making claims without evidence is irresponsible and destructive. Reasonable claims deserve a fair hearing, but they must always be based on evidence and addressed through established legal channels, to be investigated properly.

Efforts to game the system, disrupt or gridlock it, must be rejected. It isn’t okay when someone pulls into an intersection and blocks others because they didn’t make the light. Similarly, efforts to “block the box” in our elections should be called out and challenged. By ensuring that concerns are grounded in facts, and addressed through proper channels, we all contribute to a fair, transparent, and trustworthy election system.  

The League of Women Voters will be following the process closely. We will advocate for individual voters to ensure people are not disenfranchised and our rights are protected. We’ll follow the activities of election officials to ensure they are able to perform their duties, and to make sure that they do. We’ll respond to efforts to exploit or abuse the process, such as disinformation, intentional efforts to jam up the system, rogue individuals who attempt to delay or prevent certification, organized efforts to exclude votes from eligible voters on technical grounds, or efforts to disrupt the certification process. 

After Election Day, we’ll need to work together to insist that our election systems are built for strength and resilience, and to empower voters, not politicians. This includes adequate funding so election offices have enough staff and equipment to effectively carry out their responsibilities; improving access to voting options that are secure and convenient, like voting by mail, which many states have done for years; and adopting policies like same day voter registration, pre-canvassing, and even true early voting. 

We probably won’t know who wins the Presidential election on election night. That’s okay. We must take the time to ensure the process works. 

Voting is not just about marking your choice on a ballot — it is about choosing our collective future. By voting, we are all taking part in an act of hope. We must work together to make sure elections are fair and just, not about a particular outcome. 

After voting, carry on with your routine while results are counted, reviewed, and certified. Then let’s come together as Americans to make sure that our officials respect our votes and work for us.

Authors

  • Amy Widestrom

    Amy Widestrom, PhD-LWVPA Executive Director: Amy holds a B.A. from Oberlin College and an M.A. and Ph.D. from Syracuse University. She has also been the recipient of several awards, including the 2016 American Political Science Association’s Clarence Stone Scholar Award, a Brookings Institution Research Fellowship, and an American Political Association Congressional Fellowship in 2008-09, when she worked for the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs as the nation worked to recover from the 2008 economic crisis. Before joining the League, Amy was a faculty member at Arcadia University and head of the Political Science Department.

  • Susan Gobreski

    Susan Gobreski, President, League of Women Voters Pennsylvania

CATEGORIES: Election 2024
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