Elections: New version of Pony Express needed

How are we going to ensure an election that satisfies all requirements of a truly democratic system? Election officials around the country need to answer that question and should be developing contingency plans for an interruption in service.

In rides the Pony Express of yesteryear. In current lingo this represents Federal Express and United Parcel Service.

Here is my plan: Counties or states would negotiate with these companies to supply approved and secured ballot boxes in locations designated by local election officials.

Why would the companies do this? Imagine the good will they’d get from this headline: “FedEx and UPS continue to dazzle with their plan to help secure mail-in voting.”

Once the election is completed, these experts on mail movement would take the locked, secured ballot boxes to a designated place, unopened, and election officials would count the ballots.

Using private companies to secure public voting is as American as apple pie.

The vote is the most sacred system we have. Generations have fought and died so we can freely elect our leaders. We cannot, for their sake, let one voter not make their intended selections.

This story was originally published September 1, 2020 at 5:08 PM with the headline "Elections: New version of Pony Express needed."