Count together
Trust in government and public officials is becoming one of the rarest commodities in Weston County, and that should concern every one of us.
Most recently, questions began circulating on social media suggesting that Weston County Clerk Mike Tooman was improperly handling election equipment behind closed doors with members of the local Republican Party. These claims further called out the Wyoming Freedom Caucus because the individuals involved support that side of the Republican Party in Wyoming.
The News Letter Journal is investigating those claims because — as with any allegation involving public officials or the administration of elections — we believe facts matter far more than Facebook posts, rumors or assumptions. If there is evidence of wrongdoing, it should come to light. If there is not, that should become equally clear.
Unfortunately, we have reached a point where many people have already made up their minds before the facts are available. Some residents automatically trust the clerk while others automatically distrust him. For the vast majority, the facts are irrelevant because this — like so many other things in Weston County and Wyoming — is just another example of the Our Side vs. Their Side brand of politics our elected officials like to offer us because it keeps us from realizing none of them are on Your Side!
The irony is that both sides in the ongoing election controversy in Weston County claim they want the same thing: fair, accurate and transparent elections. Yet each side often believes transparency only matters when their political opponents are involved. It seems no matter who is responsible for administering elections, someone is convinced the process cannot be trusted.
So maybe it is time to stop arguing about trust and start building it, and the obvious solution is also surprisingly simple.
Count the ballots by hand.
Imagine Republicans (Wyoming Caucus and Freedom Caucus alike), Democrats, independents and unaffiliated citizens sitting side by side after the polls close, counting ballots together. Every vote would be seen by multiple sets of eyes. Every tally would be witnessed. Every disagreement would be resolved in the open.
No one would have to wonder what happened behind a locked door because nothing important would happen behind one, and it would become much harder to claim that secretive manipulation occurred if members of every political viewpoint participated in the process together.
The greatest strength of a hand count is not that it is necessarily more accurate than certified voting equipment. Its greatest strength is that it is visible, and visibility builds confidence. Confidence builds legitimacy, and legitimacy strengthens democracy.
The News Letter Journal has long supported transparency in government. We record meetings because people deserve to see what happens for themselves. We fight to publish public records because citizens deserve access to information. Elections deserve that same commitment to openness, and if Weston County has reached the point where neighbors choose to distrust their neighbors because of political loyalty, perhaps the answer is not asking one side to trust the other.
Perhaps the answer is asking both sides to do the work together. Instead of arguing over what might have happened, invite everyone into the room to witness what actually does happen.
Because sometimes the best way to restore trust is not to ask for it.
It is to earn it — in full view of the public.
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