Chairman Kary and members of the Senate State Administration committee,
Missoula County strongly opposes SB 92.
As those of you who come from county government know, we deliver services to our constituents, much more so than we make laws. Consequently, we function much more like executives than we do lawmakers. The success of our county to maintain our roads, issue permits, protect public health and run elections rests in large part on our ability to find the best staff for the job. Contrast that process to a candidate running for office.
Candidates for office, by its nature, need to market themselves to the public on their agenda. An election administrator is a technical, professional position, agenda-less. As an appointed, hired position -- as the election administrator is in Missoula County -- the commissioners and our HR staff can thoroughly evaluate a possible new election administrator based on their technical expertise, the same way we do when we hire the director of planning, public works, or IT. This is really different than what happens in a county-wide race for office. When evaluating candidates, voters cannot manage the dialogue in the same way we can drive the hiring process. In hiring we can ensure a lack of agenda and a surplus of skills in an election administrator. We can be detailed and fine-grained in our evaluation of those skills because we control every step of the process. This is essential for finding the right person for the job.
As we have seen in recent weeks, the strength of our democracy depends in large part on the public's trust of the elections system. As you know, localities manage elections, from the county to the state. We are responsible for maintaining voter confidence, and this is a sacred duty. A recent survey of voters in Missoula County tells us that county residents are highly satisfied with their most recent voting experience, are confident in the administration of elections in Missoula County and hold our elections office in high regard. We don’t take that feedback lightly. Voters should know, they must know, that the person managing their elections is not a partisan hack, but a professional technician, and a master of their trade at that. You would not elect a mechanic, a tax accountant or a cabinet maker, especially if the legitimacy of your government depended on it.
No matter your personal or political beliefs, there are some positions where politics have no place. Each and every election should be about the voter. Always. This can only happen when the person conducting the election does not have any personal or political gain from the outcome of the election. The mere requirement of running for office creates the potential for bias in the outcome of the election. We have seen recently what the desire to maintain political power can do to our electoral process.
Missoula County strongly opposes SB 92 – Disallow appointed election administrators, on the Senate floor this afternoon.
The success of our county to run elections rests in large part on our ability to find the best staff for the job. Contrast that process to a candidate running for office, who need to market themselves to the voters on their agenda and, often, their political affiliation. As we have seen in recent weeks, the strength of our democracy depends in large part on the public's trust in the elections system. Voters should know that the person managing their elections is not a political candidate who may be on the ballot for the very same election they are responsible for running, but a professional technician, and a master of their trade at that. You would not elect a mechanic, a tax accountant or a cabinet maker, especially if the legitimacy of your government depended on it.
An election administrator is a technical, professional position, whose only agenda is to run a free and fair election. As an appointed, hired position -- as the election administrator is in Missoula County -- the commissioners and our HR staff can thoroughly evaluate a possible new election administrator based on their technical expertise, the same way we do when we hire the director of planning, public works or IT. This is really different than what happens in a countywide race for office. When evaluating candidates, voters cannot manage the dialogue in the same way we can drive the hiring process. In hiring we can ensure a lack of agenda and a surplus of skills in an election administrator. We can be detailed and fine-grained in our evaluation of those skills because we manage every step of the process. This is essential for finding the right person for the job and ensuring every election day is for the voter, no matter who they vote for.
Chairman Kary and members of the Senate State Administration committee,
ReplyDeleteMissoula County strongly opposes SB 92.
As those of you who come from county government know, we deliver services to our constituents, much more so than we make laws. Consequently, we function much more like executives than we do lawmakers. The success of our county to maintain our roads, issue permits, protect public health and run elections rests in large part on our ability to find the best staff for the job. Contrast that process to a candidate running for office.
Candidates for office, by its nature, need to market themselves to the public on their agenda. An election administrator is a technical, professional position, agenda-less. As an appointed, hired position -- as the election administrator is in Missoula County -- the commissioners and our HR staff can thoroughly evaluate a possible new election administrator based on their technical expertise, the same way we do when we hire the director of planning, public works, or IT. This is really different than what happens in a county-wide race for office. When evaluating candidates, voters cannot manage the dialogue in the same way we can drive the hiring process. In hiring we can ensure a lack of agenda and a surplus of skills in an election administrator. We can be detailed and fine-grained in our evaluation of those skills because we control every step of the process. This is essential for finding the right person for the job.
As we have seen in recent weeks, the strength of our democracy depends in large part on the public's trust of the elections system. As you know, localities manage elections, from the county to the state. We are responsible for maintaining voter confidence, and this is a sacred duty. A recent survey of voters in Missoula County tells us that county residents are highly satisfied with their most recent voting experience, are confident in the administration of elections in Missoula County and hold our elections office in high regard. We don’t take that feedback lightly. Voters should know, they must know, that the person managing their elections is not a partisan hack, but a professional technician, and a master of their trade at that. You would not elect a mechanic, a tax accountant or a cabinet maker, especially if the legitimacy of your government depended on it.
No matter your personal or political beliefs, there are some positions where politics have no place. Each and every election should be about the voter. Always. This can only happen when the person conducting the election does not have any personal or political gain from the outcome of the election. The mere requirement of running for office creates the potential for bias in the outcome of the election. We have seen recently what the desire to maintain political power can do to our electoral process.
Please oppose SB 92.
Senators,
ReplyDeleteMissoula County strongly opposes SB 92 – Disallow appointed election administrators, on the Senate floor this afternoon.
The success of our county to run elections rests in large part on our ability to find the best staff for the job. Contrast that process to a candidate running for office, who need to market themselves to the voters on their agenda and, often, their political affiliation. As we have seen in recent weeks, the strength of our democracy depends in large part on the public's trust in the elections system. Voters should know that the person managing their elections is not a political candidate who may be on the ballot for the very same election they are responsible for running, but a professional technician, and a master of their trade at that. You would not elect a mechanic, a tax accountant or a cabinet maker, especially if the legitimacy of your government depended on it.
An election administrator is a technical, professional position, whose only agenda is to run a free and fair election. As an appointed, hired position -- as the election administrator is in Missoula County -- the commissioners and our HR staff can thoroughly evaluate a possible new election administrator based on their technical expertise, the same way we do when we hire the director of planning, public works or IT. This is really different than what happens in a countywide race for office. When evaluating candidates, voters cannot manage the dialogue in the same way we can drive the hiring process. In hiring we can ensure a lack of agenda and a surplus of skills in an election administrator. We can be detailed and fine-grained in our evaluation of those skills because we manage every step of the process. This is essential for finding the right person for the job and ensuring every election day is for the voter, no matter who they vote for.
Please oppose SB 92.