It wasn't by accident (11/11/06)

Before this week's election disappears in the rearview mirror, it's worth taking note of how smoothly the vote went in Jay County.

That's not by accident.

Jay County Clerk Jane Ann Runyon, the county election board, and dozens of poll workers made sure the wheels of democracy turned properly.

Poll workers - folks from both the Democratic and Republican parties - put in a long day, assisting voters through new hurdles like the photo identification requirements and answering questions about the electronic voting system.

The voting machines, which still take some getting used to, functioned well. And that, again, is not by accident.

When local poll workers learned that the blue start cards in Delaware County hadn't been programmed correctly, causing lengthy delays and endless headaches, their reaction was bemusement. After all, it's standard procedure in Jay County to test those start cards on each machine the night before the election, precisely to avoid problems like those encountered by our urban neighbors.

The county election board - again, a bipartisan group - put in the hours of planning, discussion, and thought to make sure there were no surprises or trip-wires in the process.

And then, on election night, Runyon and the clerk's office staff brought the whole thing together, providing complete results without delay.

You'd be forgiven if you took all that for granted. Most of us do.

But when you look around the state and around the country and hear tales of incompetence and worse, we all ought to be appreciative for a job well done. - J.R.[[In-content Ad]]