Dear John,
Election officials are a key piece of the voting rights puzzle because they help carry out the most basic function of our democracy — voting! We launched the “Spotlight on Election Officials” series to help the public better understand their role in the process. In our fifth installment, we talk with Patty Hansen, Coconino County Recorder, who highlighted some of the challenges she faced in 2020 running an election amidst a pandemic. Coconino County, Arizona is geographically large, covering both rims of the Grand Canyon, and many areas of the county have no wifi or cell service. Here’s an excerpt of her Q&A with us:
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How did the COVID-19 pandemic change your operations in such a big election year?
Mail voting was simply a very limited option for many voters in the Navajo Nation and on the Hopi Reservation. We had a small, confined office space in Tuba in the Navajo Nation that we moved outside and had drive-up voting available; voters could drop off their completed ballots, or cast their votes right in their cars, especially if they needed language assistance with filling out the ballot. We also offered early voting at different locations on the reservations (like trading posts) where we knew people would be running errands. We were fortunate to receive a grant of $614,000 to do this – I’m not sure how we would have managed without this additional funding.
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As administrators of our democracy, election officials’ work is so important to carry out our democratic process. How does that responsibility shape your approach to your work?
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The Big Lie is incredibly disturbing and destructive to our democracy. Get involved. Be a poll worker. Be a poll watcher. In a democracy, you have the right to vote and the right to participate and help conduct the election. If you’re criticizing the process, remember that you’re criticizing your neighbors, family, and friends who work and volunteer their time, and we couldn’t do it without them.
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Read Patty’s entire interview here. You can find and reach out to your local election official by looking them up on the Verifier, and stay tuned for more in the “Spotlight on Election Officials” series as we continue to shine a light on how elections work.
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With thanks,
The Verified Voting Team
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