After leaving my pharmacy job for other pursuits, I became involved in the political sphere. I was active, but I refrain from stating any political beliefs in this forum. The reader needs to be entertained, not lectured to, and I write my science fiction as such.
But why do I bother bringing up this subject? And after the 2020 election, why should people be engaged with the process?
I endeavored to find out.
I found out that the country is losing faith in the political process. The arena of ideas has turned thoughtful people into warring gladiators, ready to fight to the death for their viewpoints without listening to the other side. In the last Presidential election, the process by which we decide these matters had evidence of being unreliable. Even the results from my county were suspect.
That did it for me. I got involved. I am now an election commissioner for my South Carolina county, charged with overseeing the workings of elections. I sit on a nine-member board whose duty it is to ensure the integrity and reliability of the vote.
I will state it again. My duty is to preserve democracy by ensuring to those who vote that the election results will be as close to perfect as humanly possible. That the citizens of my county can trust and accept the results we present as fact.
That the 2020 controversy will not be repeated.
With that said, I want to say how impressed I am with the professionalism of my county’s “Elections and Registrations” office. They conduct the business of elections with the seriousness of an operating room, the soberness of the courtroom, and the reverence of the church. Details matter. Deadlines are met. Accuracy is paramount to their ethos. They have proven their integrity.
I am a direct person. Some say too direct. But I come by this honestly. I graduated from The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina. We have a rule we live by. A cadet does not lie, cheat, steal, or tolerate any among us who do. If there were a nefarious issue happening in this county, I would do everything in my power to expose and root it out. Trust is everything.
Democracy is preserved with sunshine. Election integrity is sacrosanct. The voters must believe their votes count and are counted correctly.
My regards go out to all the election boards nationwide. November will be a pivotal time in our 248-year history. I know there will be an honest election in this county because I will be a part of the solution.
I hope the rest of the country follows our example.
You can read more about elections at scvotes.gov or your state website. If you are not in the United States, you can also visit this website to learn more about democratic elections.
