The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ASPA as an organization.
By Dwight Vick November 22, 2020
In a previous edition of PA Times, I wrote an article entitled, “How Bureaucracy Will Save America.” The article addresses the anti-bureaucratic and -bureaucrat sentiment that permeates throughout American popular opinion. We bureaucrats have remained neutral and dedicated despite the onslaught. After self-reflection, I recommended that we advocate for ourselves through education of ourselves and our communities about what we do. In the end, we can work together for our nation, our profession and ourselves as we navigate through unusual times. As we trudge through the COVID pandemic, natural disasters and political divisions, we bureaucrats have remained dedicated to our profession and our communities. We hear of the dedication from our brothers and sisters who work in public health and education. They should be applauded. But there is one unsung group who worked and continues to work to guarantee that our governments remain stable—our voter administrators.
According to the National Association of Counties (NACo), county clerks carry out many local government services. Some are elected by local citizens. Others are appointed by county commissions. They maintain vital records, record governmental appointments and certify deeds. They record all government transactions. They update local governments’ ordinances and submit resolutions. They issue permits for local parades and parties. They oversee local business licensures. One of their primary duties is managing local elections.
Depending upon the state and county governments, voter registration may be handled in a specific office entitled county clerk. In other counties, usually depending upon their population size, voter registration occurs in county tax assessor’s offices. Larger counties may have a specific voter administration office. Either way, county clerks managed county-wide voter registration programs. They work with nonpartisan groups such as the League of Women Voters to guarantee that every citizen who is eligible to vote has an opportunity to complete a voter registration form. County clerk offices enter these requests into a voter database they diligently work to protect from hackers. They are responsible for preparing ballots. County clerks are responsible for the distribution of mail-in ballots, submitting absentee ballots, as well as procuring and maintaining voting machines for election day. County clerks train poll workers to guarantee that all election laws and policies established within their counties and states are followed throughout the election. They follow ethical standards established by NACo.
There are 3,069 county governments, each with an office responsible for voter registration. These 3,069 county clerks managed national, state and local elections. They managed them despite last-minute court rulings, like one that occurred in Texas. The state supreme court ruled that Green Party candidates had obtained the required signatures to be placed on statewide ballots. Many rural county clerks had printed ballots and programmed machines, as allowed by law, to be prepared to meet local citizens’ needs. Overnight, some with little funding, reprinted ballots and reprogrammed electronic machines to guarantee that all persons who were to be placed on ballots were there. They searched for voting locations that would accommodate persons with disabilities. They followed state law and worked with organizations like the League of Women Voters to guarantee every person who was registered to vote had the opportunity to do so. I know because I am a member of the Amarillo chapter of the League of Women Voters and spent one Saturday morning registering over 75 voters.
These 3,069 county clerks managed an election despite fraud allegations. They implemented state election laws and performed their duties while in the midst of a pandemic that rivals the Spanish flu that occurred one hundred years ago. They guaranteed that voters who may have been displaced due to natural disaster still exercise their right to vote. All the while, their attention to what may seem mundane—recording deeds, issuing licenses and permits, registering voters, certifying elections—has shown their dedication to their profession and their communities.
Our medical and education brethren are on the front lines serving our communities and representing our profession. They show bureaucracy works and has saved it during this unordinary time. But on November 3, 2020, it was our county clerks who showed local citizens and the nation how they, as bureaucrats, saved America.
Author: Dwight Vick, Ph.D. is a 28-year-long ASPA member. An adjunct professor, he owns D.A.V.E – Dwight A. Vick Enterprises, a consulting and grant writing business.
Ode to the Nation’s County Clerks
The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ASPA as an organization.
By Dwight Vick
November 22, 2020
In a previous edition of PA Times, I wrote an article entitled, “How Bureaucracy Will Save America.” The article addresses the anti-bureaucratic and -bureaucrat sentiment that permeates throughout American popular opinion. We bureaucrats have remained neutral and dedicated despite the onslaught. After self-reflection, I recommended that we advocate for ourselves through education of ourselves and our communities about what we do. In the end, we can work together for our nation, our profession and ourselves as we navigate through unusual times. As we trudge through the COVID pandemic, natural disasters and political divisions, we bureaucrats have remained dedicated to our profession and our communities. We hear of the dedication from our brothers and sisters who work in public health and education. They should be applauded. But there is one unsung group who worked and continues to work to guarantee that our governments remain stable—our voter administrators.
According to the National Association of Counties (NACo), county clerks carry out many local government services. Some are elected by local citizens. Others are appointed by county commissions. They maintain vital records, record governmental appointments and certify deeds. They record all government transactions. They update local governments’ ordinances and submit resolutions. They issue permits for local parades and parties. They oversee local business licensures. One of their primary duties is managing local elections.
Depending upon the state and county governments, voter registration may be handled in a specific office entitled county clerk. In other counties, usually depending upon their population size, voter registration occurs in county tax assessor’s offices. Larger counties may have a specific voter administration office. Either way, county clerks managed county-wide voter registration programs. They work with nonpartisan groups such as the League of Women Voters to guarantee that every citizen who is eligible to vote has an opportunity to complete a voter registration form. County clerk offices enter these requests into a voter database they diligently work to protect from hackers. They are responsible for preparing ballots. County clerks are responsible for the distribution of mail-in ballots, submitting absentee ballots, as well as procuring and maintaining voting machines for election day. County clerks train poll workers to guarantee that all election laws and policies established within their counties and states are followed throughout the election. They follow ethical standards established by NACo.
There are 3,069 county governments, each with an office responsible for voter registration. These 3,069 county clerks managed national, state and local elections. They managed them despite last-minute court rulings, like one that occurred in Texas. The state supreme court ruled that Green Party candidates had obtained the required signatures to be placed on statewide ballots. Many rural county clerks had printed ballots and programmed machines, as allowed by law, to be prepared to meet local citizens’ needs. Overnight, some with little funding, reprinted ballots and reprogrammed electronic machines to guarantee that all persons who were to be placed on ballots were there. They searched for voting locations that would accommodate persons with disabilities. They followed state law and worked with organizations like the League of Women Voters to guarantee every person who was registered to vote had the opportunity to do so. I know because I am a member of the Amarillo chapter of the League of Women Voters and spent one Saturday morning registering over 75 voters.
These 3,069 county clerks managed an election despite fraud allegations. They implemented state election laws and performed their duties while in the midst of a pandemic that rivals the Spanish flu that occurred one hundred years ago. They guaranteed that voters who may have been displaced due to natural disaster still exercise their right to vote. All the while, their attention to what may seem mundane—recording deeds, issuing licenses and permits, registering voters, certifying elections—has shown their dedication to their profession and their communities.
Our medical and education brethren are on the front lines serving our communities and representing our profession. They show bureaucracy works and has saved it during this unordinary time. But on November 3, 2020, it was our county clerks who showed local citizens and the nation how they, as bureaucrats, saved America.
Author: Dwight Vick, Ph.D. is a 28-year-long ASPA member. An adjunct professor, he owns D.A.V.E – Dwight A. Vick Enterprises, a consulting and grant writing business.
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