Tom Corbett and Conor Lamb: Our elections are safe and secure, so vote with confidence

America’s elections are the safest and most secure in the world. Bar none. And once again, Pennsylvania is leading the way.

The world looks to our electoral system as a model of freedom and fairness, powered by a rigorous system of checks and balances that are viewed across the political spectrum as fair, honest and above reproach.

Still, a narrative undermining the sanctity of our elections has been driven deep into the American psyche these past four years, designed to discourage voters from participating and amping up doubts about the results. The allegations range from rampant ballot stuffing at drop boxes to noncitizen voting and claims that electronic voting machines are being compromised, spitting out fraudulent counts.

This narrative has survived only in the court of public opinion. In every real courtroom where it has been tested, the evidence has proven that our elections are conducted without favor to either side.

You might ask, then, why people continue to attack the integrity of our elections. It is because they fear losing, so instead they attack democracy itself. You don’t have to take our word for it.

Here are just a few facts about our elections in Pennsylvania:

• Pennsylvanians cast their ballots on pieces of paper. This process is secure, verified and audited. For every vote cast, the paper ballot is checked in not one, but two post-election audits.

• For every mail ballot, the outer envelope is barcoded and tied to the voter’s registration, ensuring there is only one returned to the Board of Elections.

• Our elections are transparent. Poll watchers from both parties are present at voting stations from the moment they open to the actual transmitting of results to the county Board of Elections. You may recall that in Allegheny County in 2020, dozens of video cameras broadcast the counting of our votes in real time. Anyone could see what was happening.

• Our voting machines are tested before the election, a process open to the public and representatives of both parties.

• Despite the hue and cry over noncitizens voting, officials crosscheck federal and state databases every time a voter submits a voter registration application, making it virtually impossible for noncitizens to vote.

And as you may have noticed when you vote, the folks manning the polling places are your fellow Pennsylvanians, perhaps even your neighbors or friends. These are good and trusted people who are doing their civic duty. They are poll workers and watchers who represent both parties overseeing the process to ensure your vote is counted.

Let’s be clear. We’re not looking at our elections through rose-colored glasses. The alarm has been sounded at decibels louder than any in our lifetimes. Vigilance is the order of the day. Yet, what gives us confidence is that the forces of democracy are hard at work right now around the country.

One of many examples is the American Bar Association. The ABA is spearheading a Task Force for American Democracy reaching out to members of the legal community to live up to their oaths to uphold the rule of law and, most importantly, be the first and last lines of defense of our democratic way of life. The community has responded to the challenge. Lawyers from every stripe are fanning out in key states, including Pennsylvania, conducting listening tours, volunteering to serve as poll workers, monitoring the electoral process and providing free legal advice to election officials.

We should all be reassured. The work is being done to counterbalance the bevy of misinformation winding its way through the body politic. At the end of the day, our elections here in Pennsylvania, as well as across the U.S., will be a tribute to the strength of our democracy and the great citizens who make our elections work.

Please know that Pennsylvania law does not permit the early counting of mail-in ballots, so the lag may lead to conspiracy theories, protests and the like. There is nothing to worry about. Counting votes, especially mail-ins, is a slow process. The goal is to ensure we do it right.

We have both won and lost at the ballot box. Looking back at these experiences, it seems to us that the most important thing about democracy is not whether our side wins or loses; it is whether each of us has the opportunity to stand up and speak our minds, and then do it again next time.

The importance of keeping the conversation going is what we all share in common, and it’s what our ancestors sacrificed to preserve for us.

So vote with confidence, please be patient as the votes are counted, and look back with pride on how our country performed when the world was watching.