County Clerk: Cast your ballot with confidence

It may feel to some that we just wrapped up our last election cycle, but 2024 is the beginning of a new year and a new election season for all Americans. In a presidential election year, it’s hard to open the newspaper, turn on the nightly news, or scroll through our social media feed without hearing about election security, and I know there are some in our community who still have some very real questions about our elections.

Over the nine years that I have served as Ottawa County Clerk, the security of our elections has been priority number one for me and my team. As we enter this busy election year, I wanted to share some of the many ways my office works before, during and after elections to ensure their security, integrity, and accuracy.

Let’s start with the basics.

Did you know your local election workers are everyday Michiganders who keep our elections fair? They’re our co-workers, our next-door neighbors and the volunteers at our children’s schools. Election officials and poll workers in Michigan receive robust training to familiarize themselves with the elections process, rules and laws, and people from both political parties are involved. It’s these dedicated community members who are on the front lines of keeping our process safe and secure.

Those of you who’ve gone to the polls in the past know that. There’s a good chance you’ve encountered people you know sitting behind those tables, checking IDs, and handing you your ballot. If you want to be part of the process, you can learn more and get involved by visiting the Ottawa County website, miottawa.org/electionworkers.

It’s also important to understand that transparency is a key part of our elections. You can witness that for yourself, whether it’s by signing up to be a poll worker, tracking your absentee ballot, or visiting our Facebook page to view the rigorous testing our ballot tabulators (machines that count paper ballots) undergo prior to each election. All testing is open to the public, and once testing is complete the equipment is sealed until Election Day. The dates and locations for the testing of equipment for the Feb. 27, 2024, Presidential Primary can be found on our website and social media, and I encourage you to come see the process at work for yourself.

Of course, the work doesn’t stop there.

When the polls close, the paper ballots are sealed and results are delivered securely, with checks and balances throughout the entire process to ensure eligibility and accuracy every step of the way. Officials carefully follow procedures with built-in safeguards to make certain exactly one vote per eligible voter is accurately counted.

Immediately following Election Day, the independently appointed, bipartisan Board of County Canvassers meets to review poll books, ballot counts and to ensure accuracy before certifying the election results. Once the election is behind us, we conduct post-election audits — open to the public — in which we count every ballot by hand and compare it with the total number of votes cast in the precinct.

Like our colleagues in counties across the state and across the country, we do all of that work, and more, so all Americans can trust our election process every step of the way. While you’re voting this year, you can have confidence that your vote is secure, and your vote counts.

— Justin Roebuck is the Ottawa County clerk.

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: County Clerk: Cast your ballot with confidence