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Alanis Morissette Couldn’t have said it better. The gray-haired veterans who participated in the election integrity activism before Stop the Steel have lived in constant cynicism since the 2020 election and Donald Trump’s campaign to overturn it. , has worked.

Their decades-long struggle to bring transparency to America’s electoral process was first and foremost to make the results of the election public and observable. turned into an attack. And in response to this long-predicted weaponization of electoral “honesty”, the more “responsible” actors in politics and journalism reflexively and predictably decided to It turned the wagon around “honesty”.safest ever” selection.

It is understandable, indeed, that countering baseless and dangerous campaigns to overturn elections has become a compelling priority for democracy advocates. Unfortunately, doing so has closed many minds to thinking about the enduring issues of security and transparency of the electoral process.

The result is a dizzying reversal between supporters and activists, with most, if not all, of the energy for electoral reform coming from the MAGA right. Statistical forensic analysis Indicates virtually any red flag anomaly, including those originating from 2020 electionwhich favored more right-wing candidates.

And conversely, reluctance to address the vulnerability of the electoral process to manipulation is now most likely to be found among the progressive left, including Democratic officials and left-leaning media.

Role Reversal in Arizona

One of the most egregious examples of this bizarre polarity reversal is happening right now in Arizona.

yes, or Arizona, cyber ninja I landed in Maricopa County and said,auditThe 2020 ballot and the whereabouts of the Republican gubernatorial candidate Kali Lake We’ve only recently completed a legal challenge to losing to Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs in 2022, but we’ll learn more about who.

a few weeks ago, who why why Posted a column written by John Blakey. John Blakey advocated for transparency in general elections based in Arizona, Published images of digital ballots (DBI) Especially. Blakey explained how the proposed process would work, why it would go a long way in restoring greatly eroded confidence in election results, and why it would not be difficult or costly to implement. He elaborated on how it would not threaten the privacy of voters.

Digital Voting Images: The Key to Trustworthy Elections and Bridging the Gap

Within days of this column’s publication, both the Arizona House and Senate passed legislation establishing a process, making DBI publicly accessible and limiting months of legislative activity. added. Year of advocacy. Although there were proper words of congratulations and congratulations, the bill HB2560still awaiting Hobbes’ signature, here problems and irony reared their heads.

unexpected power of veto

HB 2560 was backed by knowledgeable Democratic Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, but was sponsored by reform-minded people. Republican Party member of parliament And the partisan vote passed almost straight, with only token Democrat support in the Senate and no support in the House.

To make matters worse, the advocacy group Common Cause Arizona strongly opposed it, citing voter privacy concerns partly based on misreading the bill’s language. Apparently persuaded by these arguments, Hobbes vetoed HB 2560.

Neither Blakey nor the bill’s sponsors and supporters have given up. They are working to amend the bill to remove provisions that could be interpreted or misinterpreted as jeopardizing voter privacy. By submitting a new bill (SB1518), they hope to win the support of the governor and the key Democrats in Congress, and they will convincingly explain how they have addressed all voter privacy concerns and will be the basis for the bill. sent a letter urging them to reconsider their reforms. Voter-identifying information is not made public, essentially allowing the public to verify the accuracy of the tally and the legitimacy of the election results themselves.

In addition to the endorsement from Mr. Fontes, the key figure in electoral administration across the state, the bill’s proponents received a major boost in the following ways: Strong support after veto By the Pima County Democratic Party. Home to Tucson, Pima is the state’s second-largest county, after Maricopa, and has a Democratic majority in Congress.

Official Democratic resolution in favor of a bill to make Pima County, Arizona’s digital ballot images available to the public.Photo Credit: Pima County Democratic Party via John R Blakey

Blakey’s Organization, audit the United Statesare also gathered 10 “VIP” letters Supports the release of voting images by Florida Democratic Party Chairman Nikki Freed and others. Douglas Kellner, Democratic Co-Chair of the New York State Electoral Commission. Benny Smith, member of the Tennessee Democratic State Electoral Commission. And computer expert John McCarthy of Verified Voting.

what we are learning

Because this reform could establish a template that other states seeking greater electoral transparency and credibility can adopt, we will and should follow Arizona closely. is. However, there are some good points to be made from how this reform effort is unfolding.

First, the hyper-polarization and tribalism that has come to characterize American politics in the Trump age has often made it extremely difficult for both parties, whether in Washington or the State Capitol, to reach agreement. It means that there is You should be able to find common ground.

The situation in Arizona is such that Republican House and Senate majorities are effectively not allowing Democrat-sponsored bills to be considered on the floor. In response, Democrats have more or less reflexively refused to support HB2560 and other Republican-sponsored bills.

Looking at the yes/no split of the HB 2560 and comparing it to Split The last time Democrats in Congress tried to pass an electoral reform bill (the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Promotion Act), there was little explanation other than the bizarre and disorienting power dynamics Blakey pointed out. you will see a mirror image. Now, with Stop the Steel, and more generally with the influence of President Trump, no matter what political party it is, for the other person will reflexively Against.

Ironically for a process-oriented nonpartisan reformer like Blakey, he found himself in exactly the same place, now switching sections of supporters and opponents cheering.

And for anyone trying to collect and analyze data and ask rational questions about election results, ironically, they are first and foremost fatal to the Trump-obsessed cult of Stop the Steelers. This means that there is a high possibility that it will be recognized as giving sufficient oxygen. They stormed the Capitol and continue to pose a very real threat to our democracy.

The final takeaway from the Arizona drama is that despite the political reversals and tribalism, there may still be avenues for such significant reforms.

More generally, the fate of DBI and electoral transparency remains uncertain in Arizona and other states facing challenges in achieving true electoral integrity. What is certain is that the dedication and tenacity of advocates like John Blakey and his colleagues will give the emergence of American democracy a chance to fight off this dark path.

Jonathan D. Simon is the next senior editor. who why why and author Code Red: Computerized Elections and America’s War on Democracy.

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