This election season, around four million people will cast votes in Ohio, with a large portion of those voters showing up in person to cast their ballots, interacting with critical election administrators and staff statewide.
Although county boards of elections in Ohio are structured to be bipartisan, with equal weight on Republican and Democratic representatives involved in the process, the administration of elections isn’t political.
Election administrators are staff at your local board of elections who carry out everything election-related, and the processes that allow you to show up, request a ballot and see your vote reflected in the final totals. Administrators work year-round to prepare ballots, review elections and make sure things are in order each season.
Frequently, administrators face the misconception of being political actors in the larger field of elections, when their true duty is procedural and often underpaid.
Despite the job being a year-round profession and the increasing tensions surrounding elections and their administration, salary ranges for these positions have stayed mostly flat since 2014, increasing only around 10% from $65,000 to $71,000, according to the Bipartisan Policy Center.
What's more, professionals in the election industry are constantly fighting against misinformation and disinformation regarding voter fraud and voting rights.
Administrators also face increased threats to their own safety, with 60% of local officials concerned about federal cuts to election security services, according to the Brennan Center.
Around 3 out of 5 local election officials are very or somewhat concerned about political interference, such as political leaders interfering in an election, the Brennan Center said.
What this highlights is a shocking trend of misunderstandings. Election officials are not political in the way you may think. While in Ohio, they act in bipartisan teams, they are not pushing agendas, but rather actively working against them to ensure consistent and fair elections.
Despite working tirelessly year-round, their efforts are still branded as “political” and reduced to an “agenda,” while voters who make these claims do not realize that their local administrators are not the enemy in this system.
The current administration and other large-scale political players have already made many attempts to crack the strength of the American electoral process. According to the Brennan Center, President Donald Trump’s actions, like attempting to rewrite election rules to burden voters, threaten to target election officials who keep elections free and fair and retreat from protecting voters at the federal level, represent a concerted strategy to undermine U.S. elections.
Anyone eligible to vote should be concerned about this increased threat and thus continue to remain an active participant in the voting process, especially students.
To those who feel their vote does not matter or hold enough weight in our election system, keep voting, showing up and using your voice. It’s loud and powerful even when you feel as though it may not be.
Although Election Day is Nov. 4, we celebrated Election Hero Day, Nov. 3. When you go to cast your ballot this season, give thanks to your local administrators and election staff, boost morale and appreciate the hard work they put in to make sure our right to representation is heard.
Check out more information about Election Hero Day here. To find out more about voting in Ohio, click here.
Emily Stokes is a junior studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Have something to say? Email Emily at es542222@ohio.edu
