A unique and challenging election
EDITOR:
I would personally like to thank our voters for doing their part to ensure the success of the Aug. 3 election here in Anderson County.
I know it was a unique and challenging experience given the current state of affairs affecting our nation.
Preparation and execution are essential for success, especially in the ever-changing world we live in. We appreciate our voters in displaying patience, understanding, and a willingness to adapt to voting in a COVID-19 environment. Additionally, I want to sincerely thank our poll officials for their hard work, dedication, and conscientious efforts, because without them, we couldn’t do what we do.
They are truly modern-day patriots ensuring democracy on the front lines. Our responsibility is to provide the necessary tools and resources for their success. The measure of election success usually involves conducting fair, honest, and accurate elections. However, protecting the health of our citizens is just as important.
We instituted several new protocols in the election process to protect public health, while adhering to state law. Those included mandatory masks/face shields for our poll workers, plexiglass shields separating voters from poll workers, emphasizing social distancing between voters, keeping voting surfaces clean between interactions, and even instituting a touchless voting system at polling locations.
Ultimately, [we are]very happy to report all of our poll officials stayed safe, and we have received no report of voter infection through contact tracing.
Change is inevitable in every part of our current world, and elections are no different. What may have been done in the past, may not be advisable today or even in the future. Safety precautions must be implemented, and we must adapt accordingly.
Any change that we institute must conform to election law, originating from federal and state mandates. One of those such changes surrounded the Absentee Counting Board being moved away from the courthouse, to an outside location.
The justification for such a move was the need for additional space because of the high volume of absentee ballots, while adhering to CDC, state of Tennessee, and Anderson County Health Department recommendations regarding social distancing. Although the courthouse was partially closed to the public on Election Day, the availability of space was extremely limited, and not adequate for the additional members of the Counting Board.
At no time were the ballots lost or compromised, nor was the chain of custody broken in moving the ballots to a safe, secure location.
The Counting Board utilized the additional, uninterrupted space to more efficiently organize, process, and tabulate the 1,830 absentee ballots in an accurate and timely fashion.
Anderson County was even lauded by the Knoxville media as the first East Tennessee county to report its early voting/absentee ballot numbers.
Transparency is vital to voter confidence; that every vote is counted, and election integrity is not compromised. In Anderson County, we strive to go above and beyond what is necessary, and ensure that these fundamentals are strictly enforced and abided by.
The November election will soon be upon us, and the level of political polarization will only continue to escalate.
Emotions from both sides of the aisle will cloud common sense, and make the task more difficult. We have already seen misinformation and erroneous stories circulated about the August election, and new ones concerning the upcoming election.
It goes without saying that we will address those concerns as they arise, and will be up for the challenges that lie ahead. We will always be vigilant in our responsibilities, and have the best interests of Anderson County voters first and foremost.
Joseph Rainey, Chairman
Mary Matheny, Secretary
D. Jane Miller, Member
William T.
Gallaher, Member
William “Bear”
Stephenson,
Member
Mark Stephens, Administrator,
Anderson County Election Commission