This year, my part of rural northern Wisconsin got hit with a March blizzard that dropped 30-plus inches of fresh snow. That’s a lot of weight on a roof. So as soon as the wind calmed down, we got out the roof rake – a long-handled tool used from ground level to scrape away snow on a roof. Removing even a portion of that snow to reduce the weight can help prevent a roof collapse.
Wouldn’t it be great to have a similar way to scrape away some of the weight of worry we carry in these divided days? A tool to knock back the edges a bit and encourage some thawing between us and those who hold beliefs that feel contrary to our own? A safe-ish way to have a conversation about something other than the weather?
Maybe we could try asking questions.
We might even find we’re not quite as divided as we think on some things. Case in point: Elections. We are probably in agreement with most in our rural communities on the fundamental question, Do you want free and fair elections? I get that we are far apart on the specifics of how to ensure those. But maybe we could at least acknowledge that we have this one important Yes in common.
Since elections are on everyone’s minds this year, here are more election-related questions to ponder when we’re all sick of grumbling about the weather.
What personal experiences helped form your opinions about elections? When was that? Where was that? How do you think that might be different here and now? Why? The volume of messaging meant to influence perceptions about voting is so great it can drown out the voice of experience and the context surrounding events important to us. And, frankly, voters get far more prompting to amplify someone else’s messages than to tell their own stories. So let’s ask each other about them – not who we voted for but what it looked like when we voted and what that means to why we vote.
What in-person interactions have you had with the people who represent us and candidates for public office? We can have face-to-face conversations with local and county-level candidates and office holders just by showing up at the dump or the county fair, and by showing up at meetings of governing bodies and committees. But for state and federal offices, even campaign events, town halls and office hours may be less accessible to rural voters. So I’m always curious about the face-to-face impression someone makes on a neighbor. Does it seem consistent with their social media posts? Did your impression differ from your expectations? Do you think they are accurately portrayed by their opposition?
What personal connections do you have with people who conduct elections? In rural areas, there’s a very good chance that most voters have a friend or family member who has worked as an election official. What have they said about how they were selected to fill that position? About the training they got? About the oath of office they took? Their impressions about security measures they have seen first-hand? Their concerns?
Have you attended a public test of voting machines? In Wisconsin, where I live, a public test is conducted before each election. Anyone can attend. Few do, but it’s a great time to ask questions like: Is this machine considered Direct Recording Electronic equipment, an optical scan Tabulator, or something else? Does the machine record a voter’s intent, or does the voter mark a paper ballot that the machine tallies? How are paper ballots secured? How are tamper-evident seals documented? Is this machine connected to the internet? What happens if it runs out of paper or jams? What happens if a voter makes a mistake they want to correct before casting a ballot? What checks and balances are in place to ensure that each ballot is counted and secured in case it’s needed for a recount or audit?
Have you volunteered as an election observer? With some exceptions (such as candidates on the ballot), members of the public in Wisconsin may observe election activity at polling places. Observers are expected to abide by certain rules (such as no electioneering) and refrain from disruptive behavior. But it’s interesting to hear what observers glean from the experience, which may feel quite different in a rural area than at an urban polling station. Did voters check in with an electronic device or sign a paper poll book? Did poll workers process absentee ballots as well as issue ballots to in-person voters? When were you able to ask questions? If something irregular happened, were you satisfied in poll workers’ good-faith efforts to correct or document the incident? How did your observation experience measure up against your expectations?
How should errors be handled? Human beings make mistakes – even those of us with perfectionist tendencies (guilty). How do we tell the difference between an honest mistake and fraud? Do you trust poll workers here to self-report mistakes or possible mistakes? What criminal penalties already apply to actions that might result in someone ineligible being able to register to vote or cast a ballot? Do you think self-reporting of mistakes would increase or decrease if poll workers faced additional criminal penalties?
How much time do you think our municipal (or county) clerk spends on election administration? What do you think our municipality pays for personnel, equipment, materials, and training to conduct elections? What do you think are local officials’s top concerns about how voting is conducted here?
How long do you think it should take to declare the winner of an election? What legitimate reasons might there be for certifying election results to take longer? Which would you find more uncomfortable: A quick declaration that might have to be adjusted later or delayed reporting that leaves voters questioning the outcome longer? Would that apply equally if the result favored a candidate you support and one you oppose? What conditions do you think should apply to compel a recount?
What would you do? A 2024 survey of local election officials found that more than one-third have experienced threats, harassment, or abuse specifically because of their job. And 45% who reported threats did not file a report to law enforcement. What behaviors would you consider threatening if they were directed at a family member working the polls here? What would you do if you witnessed that behavior? What do you think might be done to moderate the potential for that kind of behavior?
Do you know how a tie is broken in local elections? How would you do it? Do you think it should be legal to place online bets on the outcome of elections?
Where do you get election information? With more than 10,000 election administration jurisdictions in the United States, the source of information that informs opinions matters. This may be a sensitive question so approach it with genuine curiosity instead of as a debate point for rebuttal. Where do you get election information? Where do you think I get election information? Do you think the information we get is complete, accurate and unbiased? What types of information feel credible to you. What types make you uncomfortable? What would you change, if you could, about campaign advertising? What would you change, if you could, about conversations in our families and communities?
This federal Election Assistance Commission site links to state and county election administration offices and information about registering to vote, updating voter registration, checking registration status, and options for casting a ballot.
Donna Kallner writes from Langlade County in rural northern Wisconsin.
The post 45 Degrees North: Just Asking Questions appeared first on The Daily Yonder.
