Editor’s note: Local Leagues throughout Washington have volunteers who serve as election observers. As the Nov. 4 election nears, we take a look at one program in Clark County. 

Edri Geiger, LWV of Clark County Election Observers Committee Chair

By Kathryn Hobbie, Board of Directors, LWV of Clark County

How safe and fair are U.S. elections? While that’s a hot-button topic these days, anyone who’s been an election observer can assure you that the process is very safe indeed.  

“Some doubters are amazed when they see how secure our elections are,” Edri Geiger, chair of the Election Observers Committee of the League of Women Voters of Clark County, said during a recent interview. 

Our country is highly decentralized when it comes to how elections are run; the process varies widely across states and counties. Paid elections staff are in charge of collecting, organizing, and counting ballots, but volunteer observers often play a critical role.  

In Clark County, the two major political parties can send in observers trained and certified by the Clark County Elections Office. The same is true for nonpartisan, nonprofit organizations like the League of Women Voters. 

Observers from the political parties are present to ensure their candidates are not disadvantaged. “We nonpartisan observers, on the other hand, have no stake in the outcome,” Geiger said. “We are concerned with voter access and security.” 

All observers follow strict rules: watch without interfering, stash your cell phone, don’t talk to anyone except designated staff, don’t share any results or trends you may see, and report any problems you observe to election officials.  

Even mail-in voting presents opportunities for observing, from ballot box pickups to signature verification to problem resolution (for example, someone checks more than one candidate).  

Certification training for observers is held on three specific dates through the year, and takes about an hour and a half. “Trainees get an overview of the process, learn what their obligations are, and tour the facility,” Geiger said.  

Once certified, the League’s observers can sign up for as many shifts as they wish (most shifts run two hours). Afterward, Geiger’s observers send her a report. 
 
The elections office opens to observers as soon as ballots start to arrive in the mail or ballot boxes. The work typically spans about 10 days, but can run longer in a major election.  

LWV Clark County has a robust election observer program. “We have 43 people certified currently,” Geiger said.  

Larger counties like King and Pierce also have established programs. In recent years, said Mary Coltrane, former LWVWA president, many Leagues in our state have developed new election observer programs or beefed up existing ones in response to the declining trust in election processes. 

Clark County has a committed pool of observers, but “we would love to have even more,” Geiger said. “We prefer to have two observers for each shift, and it’s essential for the League, as a trusted voice in our community, to cover as many shifts as possible.”  

Nearly anyone can be an election observer; no special skill is required. Geiger’s team has included volunteers in wheelchairs or with impaired vision or hearing.  

In addition to monitoring elections, Geiger’s observers have suggested ways to make the process easier and more efficient. The Clark County Elections Office recently finished a major renovation and expansion that incudes some of those suggestions.  

“In Clark County, we’ve had the opportunity to gain people’s trust,” Geiger said. “Observing is critical to the safety of elections, and will be more and more so in our current political climate. There are those who are trying to damage the voting process, and voter access is one of the underpinnings of the League of Women Voters. 

“We believe everyone who can vote should vote,” she said. “Safe elections are essential for democracy, and we are working to show people that their vote is important and will count.”