Michigan County officials explain election integrity efforts

(CBS DETROIT) — The presidential election is in a few weeks, and Michigan county officials are in charge Count votessay they use various methods to ensure reliable and accurate votes.

“I’m a hot dog vendor, and when I finish eating my hot dogs, maybe at 1 or 2 p.m. when I leave down here, there’s no line,” Clinton Tarver said of why he votes early . “Just go to the school where we vote, fill out your ballot and drop it off right there. For me and my wife it’s just great; We love it.”

Like many voters, Tarver believes it is important to vote but worries about the accuracy of the results. County officials hear this concern often, but Kent County Republican County Clerk Lisa Posthumus Lyons says there are several reliable ways to ensure accurate results.

“In our elections, there are many checks and balances before, during and after voting so that they can be confident that their ballots are protected, that the process is secure and that the election results are accurate,” said Posthumus Lyons.

This is done through things like signature verifications, pre-election device testing, and statewide databases to detect any double votes.

“We have bipartisan teams who are your friends and neighbors,” Ottawa County Clerk Justin Roebuck said. “You get a solid education; I mean, they go through the training process, they understand Michigan election law, they swear an oath to uphold Michigan elections and the Constitution of the United States. There are just a lot of checks and balances through this system that verify one vote per voter.”

Barb Byrum, Democratic county clerk in Ingham County, says bipartisanship is one reason she has so much confidence in Michigan’s election system.

“We are often elected on partisan lines, but we make sure we align with someone from the opposing party to continue the tradition of safe elections,” Byrum said.

Despite his concerns, Tarver still believes in the importance of voting.

“It’s important for me to vote because I believe in democracy,” Tarver said.