Transparency Works Best When It’s Accessible

Public trust is strengthened when the public can actually participate.

One of the strengths of our election system is that many parts of the process are already open to public observation. Pre-election testing, post-election audits, open houses, and demonstrations exist because transparency matters. But transparency only works when people realistically have opportunities to participate.

In 2025, both the pre-election testing and post-election audit were conducted during weekday morning hours. In 2026, the currently scheduled pre-election testing and post-election audit are again planned during morning hours, times when many voters are working or attending school.

While these schedules may work operationally, they create barriers for many community members who may otherwise want to observe.

A simple improvement would be expanding opportunities by moving at least some public-facing events into evening hours.

Holding pre-election testing or post-election audits in the evening would:

• Allow working families more opportunities to attend

• Increase participation from younger voters and students interested in civic engagement

• Expand access for those who cannot easily attend daytime events

• Demonstrate that transparency is intended for the public, not merely available in theory

Representative government functions best when citizens can see the process for themselves. The same principle applies to public outreach opportunities.

For a county with more than 200,000 registered voters, providing one election open house during the primary election cycle and one election open house during the general election cycle creates limited opportunities for public participation.

Open houses provide valuable opportunities for voters to ask questions, understand equipment, learn procedures, and build confidence in how elections are conducted. They create opportunities for voters to see the process rather than simply hear about it.

Expanding these opportunities could include:

• Multiple open houses throughout each election cycle

• Evening and weekend scheduling options

• Smaller community demonstrations throughout the year

• Additional opportunities targeted toward first-time voters and students

• Rotating locations throughout the county to improve accessibility

None of these ideas require changing laws or changing how elections are conducted. They simply expand access. Transparency is not only about whether information is technically available. It is about whether ordinary people have meaningful opportunities to participate, observe, and understand.

Government processes should be built around citizen accessibility, not citizen availability.

If we want stronger public confidence, creating more opportunities for voters to engage is one of the easiest places to start.