When voters enter their polling place, they see a small slice of what it takes to run an election. They check in, mark a ballot, and head home. What they don’t see is the months of preparation behind that moment − the equipment testing, teams handling ballots, the cybersecurity work, the poll worker training, the post-election audits, and the dozens of procedures we follow at every step.
I have been part of that work for more than two decades. I started at the Hamilton County Board of Elections in 2004 and have served as director since 2014. In that time, I have helped administer more than 60 elections, including six presidential races. Each one has reinforced the same lesson: Trust in elections is not given. It is earned, every cycle, through preparation, transparency, and the discipline to do the work right.
That is why transparency has always been a priority for our office. Through public tours like “Behind the Ballot,” our “Did You Know” video series, and direct conversations with voters, we invite the community to see how ballots are processed, how equipment is tested, how audits are conducted, and how bipartisan teams oversee every step. It is the responsibility of boards of elections to earn the trust of voters by being open and explaining the safeguards in place.
But transparency is only half of the job. The other half is preparation, and that has become more complex with every election.
Eleven years ago, Hamilton County introduced electronic poll books. We learned quickly that adopting new technology is never as simple as buying the equipment. Poll workers need hands-on training. Staff need time to test and retest systems. Procedures need to be refined. We rebuilt our training program with breakout sessions, added a pass/fail certification, and opened our office so poll workers could come in and practice on the equipment until they were fully comfortable.
The demands on local election offices have only grown since then. Cybersecurity is now a central part of our job. Equipment must be tested, patched, and eventually replaced on a schedule. Poll workers need training not only on procedures, but on the tools they use to serve voters. Our staff must be ready to respond to misinformation, answer public questions, and meet rising security expectations.
Much of the progress we have made over the past decade was possible because of consistent federal investment. In 2018 and 2020, Congress provided significant election security funding through the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, which helped states and counties modernize voting equipment, strengthen cyber defenses, and expand training. Many of the safeguards Hamilton County voters rely on today are a direct result of those resources.
In recent years, however, federal election funding has become less predictable. That uncertainty makes long-term planning difficult for local election offices, even as our responsibilities continue to grow. Equipment still needs to be updated, cybersecurity standards must be maintained, and poll workers still need to be trained.
Election infrastructure is essential infrastructure. Like roads, bridges, and public safety, it requires ongoing maintenance and consistent support. Waiting until a system is outdated, or until public confidence is shaken, is not a responsible way to protect our democracy.
Voters in Hamilton County and across Ohio deserve an election system that is secure, accurate, transparent, and ready for every election. To meet that standard, local officials need to be able to plan.
A steady federal funding partnership, working alongside the leadership of Ohio’s Secretary of State and the boards of elections, would allow us to do what voters expect from us: running elections that are secure and accurate.
When elections run smoothly, it’s because the work was done early and well. That is what we owe the voters we serve. With reliable support, we can keep pulling back the curtain, keep strengthening the safeguards, and keep earning that trust, one election at a time.
Sherry Poland is the director of the Hamilton County Board of Elections, a member of the Bipartisan Policy Center’s Task Force on Elections, and serves on the U.S. Election Assistance Commission’s Local Leadership Council Advisory Board.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Secure elections begin long before the polls open | Opinion
Reporting by Sherry Poland, Opinion contributor / Cincinnati Enquirer
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By Sherry Poland, Opinion contributor | USA TODAY Network
