Answers needed from Youngkin’s elections nominee

There is nothing more fundamental to Virginia’s democracy than the integrity of our elections. It’s how we make our voices heard at the ballot box. It’s how we elect leaders that represent our communities. It’s how we help shape our future to fund our schools, hospitals, and roads.

Unfortunately, Virginia’s elections are under attack from bad-faith partisans who push election security conspiracy theories to explain why their candidate lost. Now, Gov. Glenn Youngkin has nominated a candidate to supervise Virginia’s elections, Susan Beals, who must answer questions about her past and her views on election integrity and security — especially considering the charged political environment and inaccurate claims of election fraud made by many in her party.

Given Beals’ background, the Virginia Civic Engagement Table has questions we think she should answer.

Beals is a former member of Chesterfield’s Electoral Board and legislative aide to state

Sen. Amanda Chase, a lawmaker who has questioned election integrity with allegations of election fraud and praised the Jan. 6 rioters. Chase has praised insurrectionists that were trying to overthrow a democratic election.

Does Beals agree with her former boss Chase that the Jan. 6 insurrectionists deserve praise?

Youngkin, during his campaign, eventually said that he would have voted to certify the 2020 election, but that was only after weeks of obfuscation. However, he went on to propose an audit of the voting machines.

Here’s how Youngkin justified Beals’ nomination: The governor’s team told WRIC in a statement that “the Youngkin administration is confident in Susan Beals’ credentials and that she will be selected.”

Is Beals willing to reject partisan rhetoric that spreads myths about election fraud?

In the age of the “Big Lie,” neutrality isn’t an option. There is fact and there is fiction. Truth and morality must endure. Our leaders shouldn’t be influenced by conspiracy theories and falsehoods about our election system. That isn’t a part of their job description. Preserving the integrity of our votes, however, is.

The Virginia Civic Engagement Table and our many civic partners have dedicated ourselves for years to protect the right to vote for all eligible Virginians. That is one of the reasons I am concerned about Youngkin’s nomination.

Virginia’s elections are safe and secure. From state officials to county boards of elections to volunteer poll watchers, Virginia’s elections are fair and accurate and the civic leaders who step up to make sure that’s the case deserve credit and praise. In 2021, we saw historic turnout and participation in our elections because we’ve done the work to build public trust in our elections and ensure free and fair access to the ballot box.

The conspiratorial and seemingly paranoid opinions of some in Beals’ orbit feed a dangerous narrative that suggests partisan moves have a permanent home within our election systems; that this sort of activity is just a part of how elections work.

But they don’t. The administration of elections must be non-partisan. Our democracy depends on it.

Partisan affiliation isn’t a deal breaker for administering elections. But it should be if you buy into lies and conspiracy theories that put partisan motives above civic duty for personal benefit. Doing this makes it difficult to ensure the integrity and full commitment to the safeguarding of our voting systems. It makes it harder to stand up for historically marginalized communities that have unfairly suffered from disenfranchisement for decades.

Of course, we can do more to defend the integrity of Virginia’s elections. We should create redundancies in the election system itself. We should do more to make voting accessible to all eligible Virginians. We should make sure the public is well informed about the issues and what the candidates stand for. And we must remain vigilant in protecting the voting rights we’ve fought for.

Those are the hallmarks of a healthy democracy.

But Beals’ past raises questions. She shouldn’t be confirmed until we have clear answers. Our democracy is on the line.