LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Concerns over electronic voting machines in Crawford County

Concerning electronic voting machines in Crawford County. Who really understands and who can say with all certainty that electronic voting machines cannot be tampered with? Trusting our children’s future to electronics is like trusting cars and or semi-trucks that are being controlled by computers as they travel at highway speeds when you have your grandchildren in the car on the same highway. Why are we trusting electronic machines to tabulate and count our votes on election day? Voting and having that vote count for what we want is what Americans have fought and died for since 1775. Why is Crawford County claiming to be unable to count and tabulate ballots cast on paper when it was done for years successfully?

We have attempted numerous times to get an answer to these questions only to be met with the reply that there are not enough workers or that the state mandates the use of electronic machines. It is our right, as stated in the Ohio Constitution, to have confidence in our voting process and to transparency. The Crawford County Board of Elections told us that paper ballots are provided, however, they are counted electronically. We’d like to see paper ballots that are hand counted and the results handed to the Secretary of State’s office.

We have all been told, and we believe, that Ohio and Crawford County elections have been secure and models of efficiency. This does not guarantee that it will continue to be. It does not matter how many safeguards are developed and implemented, computer hackers will find a way around them. If they can get into government and military systems, there is nothing that they cannot hack into.

If you believe that this is a concern for our and our children’s future, please join us in our efforts to get Crawford County and Ohio back to hand counted paper ballots. Future generations are depending on us to protect their right to a free United States of America.

Sincerely,

Doug and Diana Wagner