Prior to the 2020 election, few Americans would have entertained the notion that our elections could be “thrown.” The suggestion that hundreds or thousands of votes could be forged, stuffed into ballot boxes, or miscounted by machines would have seemed absurd. Yet, since 2020, that once-ridiculous idea has gained alarming traction.
It is simply not possible.
For more than a century, the League of Women Voters has worked to safeguard the integrity of elections by neutrally observing the entire election process to ensure every vote is treated fairly and transparently. After participating in several League Observer Corps sessions in Northern Michigan, it is abundantly clear: Our elections are secure, well-run, and meticulously documented.
The above statement, and what is outlined below, can be verified on the Grand Traverse County-Elections website – gtcountymi.gov – and the State of Michigan’s Secretary of State website on election security at michigan.gov/sos.
Here in Grand Traverse County, ballot security is ensured with multiple safe-guards. Every piece of electronic tabulating equipment is publicly tested before each election to confirm it counts votes with accuracy. Ballot containers are inspected in advance by a bi-partisan team to certify they are in good working order and cannot be tampered with once sealed on election night. Michigan law requires paper ballots — ensuring a permanent, verifiable record that can be reviewed in any audit or recount.
Absentee ballots are handled with equal care. Signatures are verified by city/township clerks. Then a bipartisan team — two Republicans and two Democrats — opens envelopes, matches ballot numbers, and anonymizes each vote before it is fed into the tabulator machine then stored securely with tamper-evident locks.
In-person voters must present identification or sign a legal affidavit affirming their identity. Once a voter’s ballot is cast, it is tabulated and retained. Grand Traverse uses Election Systems & Software tabulator machines, which store votes on a secure memory stick that is sealed with a tamper-evident lock. Ballots are also sealed with tamper-evident locks and securely stored. At the end of election day, poll workers verify the number of people who voted matches the number of ballots counted by the machines and the number of paper ballots stored in ballot bags.
When voting ends, Boards of Canvassers composed of two Republicans and two Democrats meticulously review every precinct’s results. They match tabulations, examine poll worker notes, and investigate discrepancies. Only when each step has been completed, are the results certified and reported. Civic groups – such as the League of Women Voters – observe the entire voting process. This process is deliberate, transparent, and bipartisan by design. The safeguards are not theoretical – they are enacted in every election, in every county, every time.
The real threats to democracy are not mythical ballot-stuffers or malfunctioning machines. They are gerrymandering, disinformation, and special interests that seek to distort representation and suppress legitimate votes.
If the diverse voices of our people are silenced, the United States will no longer be a democracy, but an autocracy – the very thing our forefathers/mothers fought so bravely against!