How secure are local elections?

A 2018 report from the Center for American Progress graded election security in all 50 states.

Arizona was stamped with a ‘D’.

When it comes to election security, being marked with a ‘D’ could have voters questioning whether their vote actually counts.

On November 5, close to 8,000 voters headed to the voting center to mark their ballots and cast their vote for who they see fit for the Yuma City Council.

However, once that precious piece of paper is printed and put into the ballot box, what happens next?

Robyn Stallworth-Poquette has held a seat in Yuma County’s Recorder’s Office for 12 years.

Poquette explained the logging and auditing process as, ” We create an audit log for each report that shows we’ve received X number of ballots. We make sure the elections’ department accounts for X number of ballots and only in the machines that are certified by the state. ”

When Poquette read that the Center for American Progress’ report graded Arizona unsatisfactory in post-election audits, ballot accounting and reconciliation, and paper absentee ballots, she knew that wasn’t the case in Yuma County.

” This is Yuma County. We’re somewhat rural, we’re growing as a county, but many reports you see from election studies are hyper-focused on an urban area, ” she explained.

Poquette says Yuma County has a certification board to oversee the entire process from testing voting machines, to ballot logging and auditing.

This essentially creates a system of checks and balances.

Poquette said, “There’s a board of people that process every single ballot so that no one ever opens a ballot without the other individuals at the table marking off that they’ve viewed the chain of custody maintained, the process to be in compliance with requirements, and they have to be from different parties.”

She believes maintaining election confidence comes down to establishing a unique process that works for voters.

For example, voters in Yuma feel more secure using paper ballots as opposed to electronic poll books.

Poquette said voters in 2016, “Wanted to see the piece of paper, they want to know that their choices reflect what they pressed on the screen.”

Also, unique to Yuma, our robust military population, which leads to more electronic absentee ballots.

The county recorders have never found that security or voter fraud has been an issue in any electronic UOCAVA absentee ballots.

Poquette confirmed, ” I am extremely confident that all the checks and balances we have in Yuma County are above and beyond, not only the state’s law, but also the state’s procedures manual. ”

This election security report claims elections in Arizona are vulnerable.

Poquette assures local voters that this bad grade does not reflect Yuma County’s elections procedures.