PUBLIC VIEWPOINT: Ballots, Voters Deserve Respect

Be glad that I voted early via electronic machine. Had I been one of the voters in Benton County who had elected to use a paper ballot, I would have been a very angry citizen. Heads need to roll over the poor handling of our delicate situation which occurred during our recent election. It infuriated me to see the front page picture of an Election Committee staff member hauling several boxes from the safety of our Benton County Courthouse to be counted in Washington County with their workable counting machine. Why was the machine not brought to Benton County, keeping the precious ballots safe within the confi nes our Courthouse?

I was angry for several reasons. The paper ballot voting is an ancient procedure. But that ballot represents the intentions and desires of an American citizen on their thoughts for how our country, our state, our county and our cities are to be managed and run. This simple paper ballot goes back to the time our original 13 colonies voted to set us free from Europe’s oppression and taxes. That simple paper ballot represents thousands of lives that have been spent to form and keep the United States Of America free for the past 200-plus years.

There was no guard shown escorting the boxes of uncalculated ballots safe on their journey. My imagination tells me the boxes in the photo on the front page of our local paper probably went to Washington County in the back of a Chevy by a staff member of our Benton County Election Commission. This should not ever happen again.

The pride of our country, the obligation of our country, the declaration of our country rests in those simple paper ballots. They deserve to be handled and processed properly.

As I said at the very beginning, be glad I voted early electronically, because had I voted by paper ballot and upon seeing them being hauled around like yesterday’s trash, I would have been at the county courthouse like ugly on an ape. The line of etiquette has been crossed and stomped on. Heads need to roll to ensure and guarantee to the American citizens of Benton County, Ark., that this shameful lack of respect for the paper ballot and voters wishes will never happen again. Common sense needs to prevail with in the structure of our election commissioners and their staff. And all who voted via paper ballot should demand no less from our county oftcials for today, yesterday and all future elections.

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