THE BUZZ
Editor’s note: The Buzz is an interactive feature of the Daily Press and Virginian-Pilot Opinion Page. We ask a weekly question on an issue affecting the citizens of Hampton Roads and readers weigh in with short answers.
This week’s question: The November election is in six weeks. How confident are you in the integrity of the voting process?
I am very confident in the integrity of the election process. I wish I could say the same of the candidates.
Lee Davis, Virginia Beach
I think the election process will be just fine. I see no reason why it will be any more unsafe or slow than it has in the past.
James Taylor, Newport News
I’m as confident as I can be. This country has complex systems and bad actors in other countries who use that complexity to destabilize us. The current occupant is sowing seeds of mistrust in the electoral process. I intend to vote in person on election day reasonably confident that my vote will be tabulated accurately.
Mike Reynolds, Virginia Beach
I’m just worried that folks voting absentee will forget to sign their ballots, or that their signatures may look different, and that their ballot will be rejected. Also, I worry that folks won’t know how to check to see if their ballot is accepted or what that process even is.
Georgette Constant, Norfolk
Virginia has early voting, absentee voting and voting in-person at the polls. Any of these methods are honest. Virginia doesn’t use electronic voting but instead paper ballots. And those marked ballots eventually are in Richmond. No ballot is mailed by the registrar without the voter’s request.
Robert Neely, Newport News
I have great confidence in the integrity of the voting process; little in that of politicians who strive to make voting difficult, restrictive, skewed and suspect unless it favors themselves. Accessible and honest voting is America’s bedrock; it must be nurtured and protected.
Bill Harrell, Chesapeake
Based on the polls I’ve seen and other information, I think the voting process will be fair and accurate. I hope that there are no problems with the post office, but I anticipate a crisis free elec
tion process this year.
Andrew Byrne, Hampton
Trump’s conspiracy theories are a threat to the validity, and integrity of the election. In Virginia, as a volunteer to the registrar, I see increased support from state leadership promoting voter access. Virginia Beach absentee ballots are up 10-fold; return options are many, safe and secure. How: Vote.org. I am confident in Virginia. Not so nationally.
Patty Bates, Virginia Beach
When vote by mail (absentee) was only allowed for people that lived overseas (military and U.S. contractors and dependents), I had a lot of faith in the voting process. The loosening up of mail-in voting, primarily led by Democratic-led states, has me seriously worried about fair vote counting.
Alan Duhon, Newport News
Mr. Trump has been very clear: If he loses, he will refuse to leave office and proclaim — with the shameless help of Attorney General Barr and Trump Republicans — a national emergency due to non-existent “voter fraud.” I will vote. We all should. It’s our only hope of ending the long, national nightmare.
Ed Prior, Poquoson
Assuming the tallying and counting of the votes is part of that process, I have absolutely no confidence in the accuracy of the outcome. The “57 varieties” of votes being swirled together will guarantee the deliberately created chaos. The party with the best lawyers will ultimately win the election.
Don Vtipil, Norfolk
Wherever unsolicited mail-in ballots exist, no signatures verified and no identification required, how could the voting process be trusted?
Next week’s question: Do you think the U.S. Senate should act on President Trump’s nominee to the Supreme Court or wait for the outcome of November’s election?
Submit your answer, suggest a weekly question or join the Buzz mailing list by emailing letters@pilotonline.com with the subject “Buzz.” Include your first and last name and city of residence. Please keep responses to about 50 words and submit by Tuesday, Sept. 29 at 5 p.m. Answers may be edited.