Arizona Democracy Defense Project board members, the Mechanics of Democracy Laboratory at ASU and the Center for the Future of Arizona came together to emphasize the importance of trusting elections.
Former Arizona Representative Matt Salmon (R) joined “Arizona Horizon” to provide more information about the project’s goal.
“Our role predominantly has been to help educate voters as to the security of our election system here in Arizona and they need to have confidence in the process to go out and vote”, Salmon said. “100% of the problem is education. When people learn what’s actually happening in our polling places and our election system, they feel a lot more comfortable”.
Election experts traveled across Arizona to examine election processes, solutions and reforms. Recent polling data from the project shows Arizona voters prefer the state’s mail-in early voting systems. In addition to the mail-in voting, voters look for accuracy in election results rather than speed.
“The most important thing for us to do is actually lay out what is happening in our elections”, Salmon said when speaking on the accuracy of the elections. “What protections are put in place to make sure that cheating doesn’t occur and that the change of custody is protected”.
Salmon later speaks on ways that people can regain their trust in the system, accepting that a loss does not automatically equal foul play.
“More than anything we have to be committed to the idea that the transfer of power is peaceful and that we accept the results and move on”, He said. “The opposition has had their day in court time and time and time again and the have never came up with one scintilla of evidence that we have a currupt election process”.
