Opinion: I had questions about Michigan’s elections. Here’s what I found.
Christina McKenna, a Michigan Pillar, writes in The Detroit News to share how observing a Public Accuracy Test of Detroit’s absent ballot tabulation equipment reinforced her confidence in the integrity of our elections and her trust in the officials who administer elections. She specifically mentioned her experience with Pillars of the Community:
I’ve recently gotten involved with Pillars of the Community, an organization that encourages local leaders to ask hard questions and help restore trust in our election processes. In our house, we talk about elections a lot. Still, with a contentious midterm ahead, the stakes feel higher than usual, and I want my friends and neighbors to do more than just vote their conscience. I want them to ask the hard questions and actually listen to the answers.
No system is perfect. But real safeguards exist, and when there are legitimate concerns about an outcome, litigation and recounts are the proper remedy. Baseless attacks on our election system don’t make elections safer; they erode trust in the people who show up every cycle to do this work honestly. That erosion hurts everyone, regardless of party.
One of Michigan’s strengths is the ordinary people who show up and do their jobs well, whether anyone is watching or not. That’s exactly what I saw in that tabulation room. The testing for this election may be over, but the lesson isn’t: our elections are run by our neighbors, protected by transparent processes and worthy of our trust. As this week’s primary results come in and we look toward the November midterms, I hope more of us take the time to understand the safeguards behind our elections. Talk to an election official, volunteer to be a poll worker or attend a Public Accuracy Test this fall, because our democracy works best when people have faith in our elections and the people who administer them.