Local registrars confident Virginia election is secure, encourage transparency
Virginia election directors were busy in the weeks before early voting, and are working to ensure the process remains secure.
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Local registrars confident Virginia election is secure, encourage transparency
By Anna West, Capital News Service
RICHMOND, Va. -- Virginia election directors were busy in the weeks before early voting, and are working to ensure the process remains secure.
Some elections officers have focused on voter engagement in an effort to counter distrust they believe stems from a lack of education about the process. In addition to the standard preparation, they are trying things such as detailed information on websites, walkthroughs and personally addressing community inquiries.
LOUDOUN COUNTY
Richard Keech is deputy director of elections for Loudoun County, where 224,862 votes were cast for president in the 2020 November election, according to state election results. Keech has worked in elections for 16 years and been in his current position since March 2011, he stated.
Two Loudoun voters previously took claims of election fraud to court, but the lawsuit was dismissed. The allegations were that the voting machines were not certified and not secure. There was no evidence to substantiate the claims, according to Keech.
A lack of voter knowledge about how elections operate has caused anxiety and fear in the general population, according to Keech.
“There comes a point where we have to tell our story,” Keech said. “We have to tell the truth. We have to be transparent. We have to be up front about what we’re doing to provide safe, secure and efficient elections.”
Loudoun officials worked to combat this dynamic and make voters feel confident. Election officials shared more behind the scenes videos, and hosted walk-throughs of their office for the public, according to Loudoun communications manager Samantha Shepherd.
Repeat election volunteers can get specialized training in courses such as technology, help desk training and advance precinct management, according to Keech.
“The lack of education around how elections occur is mind boggling to me,” Keech said. “There’s this vision that it’s all occurring on the internet and all these various actors are involved, and the reality is that it’s your friends and your neighbors [who volunteer].”
Citizens are encouraged to ask questions and look at their locality’s website for more information, Keech said.
CITY OF RICHMOND
Keith Balmer is the general registrar of the City of Richmond, where 111,159 votes were cast for president in the 2020 November election. Virginia has an election every year, so officials are experienced with the procedures, he said.
“The way we prepare for this election is really no different than any of the elections,” said Balmer, who has 14 years of experience in this field and three years serving as general registrar.
Preparation includes testing, hiring and training -- and more testing.
“We test a lot of ballots,” Balmer said. “We are talking hundreds, and this election we're talking thousands of test ballots to get tested into our machines.”
A test election is run with filled-out ballots to certify the machine is counting correctly, Balmer said. This process occurs for every election.
Any citizens concerned about the validity of the electoral process should volunteer, so they can get a front row seat of the process, Balmer said. Possible positions include pollbook officer, ballot officer and overseeing the voting equipment and booths.
“You get to see there's so many checks and balances here in place, that you're going to walk away convinced that there's zero fraud going on around here,” Balmer said.
The city will need about 1,200 officers, or about 15 per precinct, according to Balmer. Staffing is important to help avoid long lines and ensure a smooth process, he said.
Getting poll workers has always been challenging because of the long 16 to 18-hour shifts, Balmer said. He pushed for a stipend increase for volunteers, from $120 to $200.
Election officials are focused on the process, not the results, Balmer said. The doubt cast toward election officials in recent years has been “deeply hurtful” and caused people to leave.
“Then there's a lot of institutional knowledge that's walking out of the door because people just don't want to deal with that anymore,” Balmer said.
Balmer is currently the subject of an ongoing investigation into claims of financial misconduct and nepotism, according to a Richmond Times-Dispatch report.
YORK COUNTY
Walter Latham is the general registrar of York County, where 38,787 votes were cast for president in the 2020 November election.
Voters have questioned the electoral process since at least 2000, according to Latham. That election, between candidates George W. Bush and Al Gore, resulted in a Florida vote recount that ultimately went to the U.S. Supreme Court. Latham does think maybe it became “more intense after 2020.”
“It’s a public process, the elections belong to the people of the country,” Latham said. “They have a right to have questions and they have a right to have them answered.”
Candidate certification deadlines could be set earlier to allow for more time to proof, print and test ballots, he said. The state deadline for changes for third-party presidential candidates was Sept. 6, two weeks before early voting began.
Standard election preparation includes proofing ballots to ensure all candidate names are spelled correctly and in the correct order, per the Virginia Board of Elections, according to Latham. Then machines are programmed and tested for accuracy.
Election officer training is state mandated, with training held in person no more than 30 days before the election and no less than three, according to Latham.
Latham said they are “blessed” to have a good number of volunteers for Election Day, many who are returning to the role.
“We try to rely on the ones we have because we appreciate their knowledge and skill and dedication,” Latham said. “Because they work a long day for not a lot of money.”
What college-age voters need to know about early voting
By Cruz Walden. Capital News Service
RICHMOND, Va. -- Early voting is underway for the November general election. Over 54,000 people completed a ballot on the first day of early voting, according to the Virginia Public Access Project.
Young voters had high turnout for the 2020 election, although this year’s level of engagement is uncertain. A 45-day early voting period might drive participation, but election officials say there are a few key things to know, and to have a plan in place.
The national student voting rate was 66% in the last presidential election, a 14-point increase, according to the National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement data, or NSLVE. This nearly matched the estimated national voter turnout rate, according to the data.
Another 2020 voting trend was that students ages 18-21, or likely first-time voters, voted at a slightly higher rate than older students, according to NSLVE data.
The student voting rate dropped to 31.3% for the 2022 federal election, known as the midterm. Nationwide, turnout is usually lower during midterms.
Adeline Sajko is a freshman at William & Mary, a college in Williamsburg. Sajko is from the Harrisonburg area. This will be the first election she votes in, but she feels uninformed about the process.
“I've never seen or been provided with an example of what it looks like,” Sajko said. “So I'm kind of going into the unknown.”
That won’t discourage her from voting, but she knows she will have to research and be “self-sufficient.” Voting every year is important, although her family has emphasized the importance of voting this year, she said.
“I feel like it's the most crucial it has been in a while,” Sajko said. “I think as part of the younger generation, I think we all kind of recognized that.”
Alexandra Reckendorf is an associate professor and associate chair of the political science department at Virginia Commonwealth University. She co-teaches a class called VCU Votes, which encourages civic engagement and helps students become more familiar with the voting process.
A goal is to help drive participation in off-year state and local races.
“VCU Votes is really concerned about how to create voters every year, so not just in a presidential year,” Reckendorf said.
Younger voters often underestimate what they know about politics, in comparison to older voters, Reckendorf said. They need to give themselves more credit and “stop being gaslit by older generations that you are not prepared to participate in politics.”
Older adults are not necessarily more informed, but they vote regardless.
“They don't care; they're going to vote anyway, because it's a habit,” Reckendorf said. “They know that on Election Day, they go out and vote. They know that their numbers still matter.”
Young voters need to make at least one voting plan, she said.
“If you don't early vote, you can absentee vote,” Reckendorf said. “If you can’t absentee vote, you can vote on Election Day. But if you just have one plan and you miss it, you miss it.”
Early voting is a convenient way to participate, without facing large crowds or taking time off work, according to spokespersons Katherin Cardozo and Selna Shi with the Richmond City Office of Elections.
“Having that 45 days before actual Election Day gives a lot of people the leeway to find a time to actually go vote,” Shi said.
Still, first-time voters might choose to vote on Election Day because of the “hype” and excitement, and because the results come in later that day, Cardozo said.
Election Day is a holiday for state employees, but otherwise there is no mandate for employers to give workers paid time off to vote.
First-year students had registration and process questions at a recent tabling event at VCU, according to Shi.
Students in dorms need to be sure they use the correct mailing address, which can be different from their building address. Those living in dorms need to put their room numbers down, and double check the correct zip code, according to Shi.
Specific information voters need to know:
Where do I register? Online at the state Department of Elections website, at the Department of Motor Vehicles or through a candidate’s campaign, a political party or a political outreach organization.
Vote at college, or hometown? Depends on convenience, what is on the ballot, where you are registered, and personal choice. In-state students can register to vote with their current address, or vote in hometown. Out-of-state students can be registered in only one state, and need to registered in Virginia to vote here. If they vote back home they must request an absentee ballot for their hometown, or travel back.
How do I vote early? Check your local registrar’s office to vote in person, or request a mail ballot. Your early voting location is not usually the same as an Election Day location.
What do I bring when I vote? One form of identification, including any DMV-issued ID card, student ID, or passport. Or, a current utility bill with name and address can be used. The full list of acceptable identification can be found on the state Elections website.
What is on the ballot? Six presidential candidates on the Virginia ballot. Also, two congressional races per ballot, including one Senate and one House of Representative seat. Local races such as mayor or city council, but it depends on the voter’s location. An amendment to the Virginia constitution. Checking “yes” would allow surviving spouses of soldiers who died in the line of duty to receive a real property tax exemption. Checking “no” keeps the exemption with surviving spouses of soldiers who were killed in action.
Key dates: Voter registration ends Tuesday, Oct. 15, but same-day registration is still allowed. The deadline to apply for an absentee ballot is Friday, Oct. 25. Early voting ends on Saturday, Nov. 2. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 5. Mailed ballots must be received by noon on Friday, Nov. 8.
See other detailed voting information here.