Commentary: The unsung heroes who make Missouri elections possible

“Elections are miracles.”

With a bit of enthusiasm and wonder, that’s something a former boss of mine used to always say.

As I think back over last week’s elections, I was reminded just how right she was.

I was lucky enough to spend almost a decade working in Missouri’s election administration. I got to see firsthand what goes into making an election happen.

We’ve all heard the saying “All politics is local”. Elections are local, too.

They happen in our communities, carried out by people who know their neighbors and take pride in doing the job right.  It’s a lesson that carries into our public affairs work both here in Missouri and across other states.

I had the opportunity to work with county clerks from across the state, representing a wide range of political backgrounds. County Clerks and Election Boards run the elections in each of Missouri’s 116 local election jurisdictions. Regardless of their politics, I encountered countless dedicated election administrators  who took their jobs seriously and understood the importance of running free and democratic elections.

Think about it. On Election Day, we’re basically opening thousands of small businesses across each state, all at the same time, asking them to serve the public. Each one needs a location, supplies, equipment, trained staff, and a list of their customers.

One election. Millions of people. Thousands of polling places. An extraordinary amount of work.

These operations are mostly run by our neighbors.  Many of them are retirees and senior citizens who work for little pay.  These people show up early, work long hours, and take their responsibility seriously.

Long before Election Day, ballots were being designed, printed, and delivered, voting equipment tested, voter records checked, and poll workers recruited and trained. All of this happens with very little room for error.

After the polls close, the work doesn’t stop. Ballots must be secured and counted. Results must be reconciled and accounted for. Election officials review the numbers, conduct canvasses, and complete the certification process according to state law. It’s a process involving checks, balances, and multiple layers of accountability.

Election officials also have to expect the unexpected. Court decisions and legal challenges can sometimes require last-minute changes to ballots or election processes. Inclement weather and power outages can disrupt voting locations. Whatever the circumstances, local officials have to adjust quickly while keeping everything else on schedule.

Somewhere along the way, like a sporting contest, the reporting of election results has turned into election entertainment.

Television networks provide scorecards and projections. Campaigns and politicians use social media to focus on winners and losers. We watch the vote totals change and wait for someone to declare a victory.

But here is something we forget. In elections, there are no come-from-behind victories.  There are no last-second field goals or walk-off home runs. The winner was already decided when the last voter cast his ballot. The counting that follows simply tells us the decision the voters made.

I’ve stood in election offices on nights when my friends won, and on nights when they lost. I’ve certified results that made me smile, and results that made me cry. Here’s what that taught me: In a democracy, voters don’t make wrong decisions.

A ballot isn’t a test, and a vote isn’t wrong because someone else disagrees with it.

People vote according to their own beliefs, values, and hopes. I don’t get to invalidate the outcome simply because I question the judgment behind it or I don’t like the result.  That’s the point of democracy.

My boss was right. Elections are a miracle. Thanks to those local election officials, we just pulled off another one.