Here's a vote of confidence for our local elections

It shouldn’t matter what side of the aisle you’re from. We can all laugh at a Facebook post featuring a mail truck among headstones, with the caption reading: “I saw a mail truck in the cemetery today... I guess they have started delivering ballots!”

Sometimes, a joke is just funny. Laugh and move on. I think we too often forget to remind ourselves of that. Life is too hard to look under rocks for excuses to be offended.

Admittedly, too many of us don’t find claims of election improprieties to be amusing. It’s become a crutch for losing candidates who believe they didn’t win because the election process was rigged.

Al Gore had us looking for hanging chads in 2000; Hillary Clinton said Donald Trump stole the election from her; Stacey Abrams said Georgia participated in voter suppression in the governor’s race in both of her losses to Brian Kemp.

Then there’s Donald Trump. The jury’s still out – literally – on how he tried to affect the last election with his unfounded accusations of ballot-stuffing.

Without proof, why did we listen?

It’s time we move away from political party gibberish and the blatant biases of network news. The empty, misleading rhetoric is an attack on the most basic sanctity of a democratic society – free and fair elections.

Neither Gore, Clinton, Abrams nor Trump have yet to present verified evidence to support their claims. Instead, they created political turmoil to further divide the country to appease their disappointments.

Equally important is creating the perception of a fair and open election. That’s where there may be some gray area.

Florida has the best voter protections in the country. Vote-by-mail ballots are mailed only to voters who request one. And when it’s returned, the signature on the ballot is compared to the signature on the voter registration card.

Ballots are printed, one at a time, as needed, including at polling stations in November.

In California, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Vermont, Washington and the District of Columbia, every registered voter gets a “universal vote-by-mail” ballot whether or not they request one. Have you ever moved or received someone else’s mail by mistake? Just asking.

I have no verifiable evidence to prove people illegally filled out mishandled ballots. Until there is, it’s just a perception, not reality.

According to the U.S. Agency for International Development, a country cannot function without a legitimate and democratically elected government that is responsive and accountable to its citizens. Elections provide an important opportunity to advance democratization and encourage political liberalization. 

Elections also serve to encourage political debate and public dialogue.

Most of us trust our local election officials and Supervisors of Elections. The Tyson Group asked 1,000 likely voters if they have faith in local elections. More than 76% said yes.

Moreover, 88% of voters in Florida said they support multiple election options, like mail-in ballots, early voting and going to the polls on election day. And in Florida, 87% said they support early in-person voting, while 76% said they approve of mail-in ballots.

“Florida voters trust in their local election officials and support early voting and vote-by-mail among many options to ensure voter access,” said Daniel Griffith, senior director of policy for the Secure Democracy USA foundation.

“Despite growing polarization across America on some issues, when it comes to elections, Florida voters across the spectrum voice strong support for policies and processes that improve access and strengthen trust.”

The best way to support the fair and accessible process is to participate. The Presidential Preference Primary will be on March 19, with early voting from March 8 to March 16. The last day to request a mail-in ballot is March 7.

The Municipal Super Tuesday Election will be on April 9, followed by the Primary Election on Aug. 20. The General Election will be on Nov. 5.

See you there.