VOICES: Elections are SAFE in Montgomery County

Credit: HANDOUT

Credit: HANDOUT

Voters of Montgomery County can be confident that their elections are Secure, Accurate, Fair, and Efficient (SAFE). The bipartisan Board and staff members of the Montgomery County Board of Elections work diligently daily to safeguard the fundamental cornerstone of our democracy – the right to vote.

Secure – While not all security procedures can be disclosed publicly, the Board of Elections spends considerable time and resources protecting the county’s voting equipment. Voting equipment is never connected to the internet. State-of-the-art, enhanced cyber-security protections for the Board of Election’s office, and technical equipment is in place. Chain of custody logs, video recordings, and double-locked rooms are just some of the many physical security procedures that protect election officials and the election equipment used by voters in Montgomery County.

Accurate – Election officials take their work seriously. Montgomery County officials work tirelessly to ensure that every legally cast ballot is counted. Whether a ballot was cast on Election Day, by mail, during in-person early voting, or provisionally, if a ballot is properly cast, it will be tabulated and added to the official results. After an election, an audit is conducted. Equipment, paperwork, and records are inspected for accuracy. Results are independently verified for correctness. Nothing is more important than presenting accurate election results.

Fair – Voters in Montgomery County can count on a fair system of Election Administration. Our bipartisan Board and staff are made up of an equal number of Democrats and Republicans. Precinct election officials working at the polling locations on Election Day represent both major political parties. Sensitive areas of the office and equipment require a member of each political party to be present when open. The Board makes decisions on elections for Montgomery County in consultation with the Montgomery County Prosecutor’s Office and Ohio Secretary of State’s office to guarantee that Ohio laws are correctly followed and access to voting is granted to all eligible Ohioans.

Efficient – Government operates using taxpayers’ dollars. The Montgomery County Board of Elections takes seriously the charge of providing quality elections while wisely using the resources allocated by the taxpayers. Voting equipment is stored and well maintained to be available for its entire useful lifespan.

The question of election integrity is on the minds of many Americans. No matter the reality of election claims, if the citizens of a country do not have faith in their election system, they cannot have faith in their government and their elected leaders. We at the Montgomery County Board of Elections will continue our mission of providing the highest quality elections to the voters of Montgomery County in a SAFE manner.

On behalf of the Board, staff members, and over sixteen hundred election workers of the Board of Elections, we thank the citizens of Montgomery County for their continued participation in the Election Process.

Jeffery Rezabek is the director and Sarah W. Greathouse is the deputy director of the Montgomery County Board of Elections.

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