By Bryan Williams

Let’s face it, last November’s election was odd. Ballot harvesting, ballot drop boxes that were official and unofficial, same day voter registration, early and extended voting, and claims of widespread abuse, conspiracy, and fraud by Donald Trump and most of the Republican Party made it so. I am not saying that there was widespread fraud (though I am sure there was some - elections are a human enterprise and are never perfect), I’m saying it was odd.  Several oddities did occur, and now there are a rush of bills in several states to try and make our elections less odd.

As a Republican, I believe that voting should be open and easily available to every American who is legally able to vote. I am even for expanding the times polls are open to make it easier for folks to show up and vote.

For the first time in my working life, I was not able to make it to the polls during the regular Tuesday hours in 2020 because I had to work and there was no way I could get to my precinct before it closed. So I personally delivered the ballot I received by mail before election day to the only authorized and official ballot drop box in my county, the one inside the county building downtown. I sympathize with those voters who work on Election Day and can’t make it. In California, by law your employer is to give you one hour to vote during your work day. Even this provision didn’t make it possible for me to vote in-person on election day, so I understand we must give voters alternative ways and dates to turn in their ballots.

But would I have turned my ballot over to a stranger or an organization, especially a political party? I used to be a part of my local Republican county committee. No way, not ever, would I relinquish my ballot to anyone other than a poll worker, or at the elections department downtown. Ballot harvesting is ripe for abuse and should be prohibited or at least reformed in a way that allows for strict accountability.

Same-day voter registration is another bad idea. Consider it practically, instead of ideologically. Do you really expect a government agency to be able to efficiently and appropriately process your voter registration the very same day you vote? I bought a car in August of 2020, and I didn’t get my license plates or registration card until the middle of December. I received the bill for next year’s registration before my actual plates arrived! Just like folks should be given more time to vote outside of Election Day, election workers should be given more time to process registration cards to ensure it’s a real person signing up and assigned to the correct precinct.

Voting is a right. It should be easy. But make it secure and minimize the number of hands that handle a ballot – the voter, and the local elections officials.