Letter: GOP needs to stand up and defend integrity of U.S. elections

I am 74 and have voted in every election since I was 21. I was a poll worker in King County from 1966-90, when I moved back to Richland. Even in Richland I worked the polls until we had mail-in ballots. This was when we had actual polling places and voting devices in Washington.

There always was an equal number of Democrats and Republicans working the polls. I was constantly amazed at the care that was taken to count every ballot, double-check figures and see that the ballots were picked up and safely transported to the auditor’s office for tabulation. There was never, ever anything that could have been construed as “rigging” or “voter fraud” and, quite frankly, I did not see how there could have been.

For a candidate for president to convince new and/or inexperienced voters that there is widespread voter fraud and that elections can be rigged is irresponsible and dangerous. The intelligent and patriotic members of the Republican Party need to stand up and defend the integrity of U.S. elections and do it now and loudly. It has worked well for many years and deserves defending.

This story was originally published November 6, 2016 at 4:45 AM with the headline "Letter: GOP needs to stand up and defend integrity of U.S. elections."