Public Trust in Elections
F.A.S.T
The following statement of principles is key to establishing and maintaining the trust of the public in elections. Trust in elections is core to our democratic system of self-government and is critical to maintaining a good, peaceful, and prosperous society. In elections, there is no room for doubt.
FAIR
- Fairness in elections means it should be easy to vote and hard to cheat.
- Inclusive Access: Fair elections are open and inclusive to all eligible participants. Laws about accessibility are followed, and efforts are made to ensure everyone has access.
- Voter Eligibility: Only those eligible should be able to participate. This means essential safeguards on participation, including voter ID and identity checking and accurate and updated registration lists.
- Validation: Voter eligibility should be validated through voter ID, signature matching, etc.
ACCOUNTABLE
- Compliance: A serious commitment to compliance with laws and standards requires ensuring the proper entities have investigative and enforcement authority.
- Enforcement: bad actors who violate election laws and commit fraud should be prosecuted and held accountable.
SECURE
- Physical security: Physical control and security measures should ensure that only authorized personnel have access to key procedural steps in election administration.
- Cybersecurity: Election tabulation systems that manage the counting and tabulation of election results should be air-gapped from the public internet, and cybersecurity best practices should be followed.
- Management security: Staffing redundancy and separation of duties are key elements of security in elections. Staff should not have unilateral access and control of all elements of election processes, and appropriate redundancy and separation should be utilized.
- Surveillance: Appropriate surveillance where needed for verification.
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TRANSPARENT
- Reporting: Speed and comprehensiveness in reporting is critical to ensuring transparency throughout the process. Administrators should report more data rather than less and should keep the public updated throughout the process and when challenges are encountered.
- Observers: Elections are public events. Parties, candidates, political stakeholders, the media, and the public all have a right to observe the process and have access to results and information about the election.
- Voter Confirmation & Ballot Tracking: Voters should have information about the location and status of their ballots and be given options for confirmation and tracking. Track your Utah Ballot here: https://ballottrax.utah.gov/voter/.
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Support these principles for Utah Elections in your community. Contact your local officials.
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If you support these principles for Utah Elections then sign the statement of principles.
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