Several Thistles for the Register
Last week Polk county recorder Tim Brien dropped his request for a recount of his race in the the June primary. The vote scanners of Polk County had indicated a defeat for Brien, something which apparently surprised (or maybe embarrassed him). Sunday’s Des Moines Register awarded a “thistle” to Brien for “casting doubt on the legitimacy of the county’s new vote-counting machines.” For that reckless statement the Register writers deserve a whole bouquet of thistles. Canada thistles should do nicely.
It wasn’t Brien who cast doubt on the machinery. It was the actual use (misuse) of the machinery in Pottawattamie county and elsewhere around the US that has warned all unbiased observers that skepticism is in order whenever vote totals are created by machines. Brien’s action may have been his last act of public service. Or it may have been a self-serving smokescreen to hide his embarrassment at the official vote totals.
Whichever it was, the Register missed the story. For the real business of elections is to convince the losers that they lost. As long as doubt exists, the system is broken.
The Register’s attitude is in conflict with its long history of vigilance regarding open meetings and open public records. What are election returns if not public records deserving strict scrutiny? The Register wonders if Brien “finally realized the damage he was causing to the credibility of Polk elections . . .” Does the Register worry about the damage it causes to county sheriffs or county prosecutors when it questions their official acts?
The way to credible elections is not through silent losers. It is through rigorous procedures, checks and balances, and bright sunshine.