The road to true election integrity in America

When I ran for the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, I pledged to listen to voter concerns and work to ensure our citizens would have a smooth, fair, open, and transparent election process. I took office at a tenuous time in the county, which had been at the center of two contentious election cycles. As one of the largest counties in America, Maricopa County is looked upon as a bellwether of national elections, not to mention the myriad other races within the state. I understand it is critical that we not only get our elections right but make sure that all voters – regardless of their party affiliation – trust the integrity of the process and result.

I have spent my entire career in public service defending the right of all Americans to know our votes count in each election – no matter how seemingly insignificant to the media or pundits. If Americans can’t trust an election for a school board, then they certainly won’t be able to trust an election for the highest office in our land – President of the United States.

As a state legislator and United States Congresswoman, I sponsored and voted for legislation and supported ballot measures that require voter identification and proof of citizenship, prohibit non-citizens from voting, and end ballot harvesting. In the U.S. House of Representatives, I voted against legislation that would have allowed states to mail ballots to non-citizens and would have required states to accept ballot harvesting. I proudly sponsored and voted for the SAVE Act, which would have preserved American elections for the American people, because one vote from a noncitizen is one too many. The eventual passage of this legislation would do wonders for the integrity of our elections throughout the country.

To that end, I promised I would fight for an independent election-related audit in Maricopa County. In keeping my pledge, funding for this action was approved by the Board of Supervisors soon after I took office. One of those reviews is a technology audit, which will ensure that Maricopa County’s election equipment and software were not tampered with during the 2024 election cycle and cannot connect to the internet. The other is a comprehensive review by independent auditors, investigating lines of business as a chain of custody, physical security, tabulation, and drop box security of Maricopa County election processes.

This comprehensive audit was put out for open bid, so that any experienced individual or company could bid on doing the audit. After an extensive search, our Board voted to hire a nationally reputable audit firm to review the Maricopa County election systems. With this audit, we will discover what is being done right and what needs reform. It is very important that voters in Maricopa County have faith in our election system, and my prayer is that this audit is a huge step in that direction. I look forward to seeing the results of this review.

In addition to the audit, I’ve looked to unify and listen to all sides. There are many individuals who have very opinionated thoughts on the state of our election systems or what we must do to move forward to fully secure our elections. I appreciate those voices, and I’ve worked to build bridges and listen to the men and women who have shared their issues and solutions. To build back trust in the integrity of our elections, we can’t be dismissive of people simply because they are too opinionated or we may not agree with them. Rather, we must be inclusive of all these viewpoints and ensure that everyone feels like they have a seat at the table to fix what may be wrong with our elections.

One way I’ve listened and solicited feedback is by helping to facilitate tours of our elections department over the past year. We’ve taken many individuals – from all sides of the aisle – through our building and set up more conversations with the men and women who are responsible for making our elections run in Maricopa County. I’ve found that these tours work wonders. The attendees emerge with a deeper understanding and appreciation for what takes place behind the scenes, and they are grateful for the opportunities to interact with those who operate our election system.

The road to true election integrity in America has proved daunting, yet I remain convinced that it is worth every investment we make. I’m working every day to restore trust in our elections and to help assure American voters that their selections at the ballot box are secure and that our system is as transparent as possible. Our children and grandchildren deserve our full cooperation for this worthy endeavor.

Debbie Lesko is currently serving as a Maricopa County Supervisor after a tenure in the U.S. House of Representatives. You can follow her on X at @DebbieLesko.

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