Tina Barton, Kammi Foote and Paddy McGuire oped in the Detroit Free Press:

Today, more than ever before, local and state election officials across this country have the capacity to provide safe and transparent elections to all voters. We are calling on Congress and States to act now to provide the funding and local autonomy needed to protect the sanctity of this November’s election. 

Most of the current conversation in the midst of this national crisis has centered around the need for a significant increase in voting by mail, and we agree. However, it is a mistake for the Federal government to impose top-down, long-term sweeping structural reforms to how Americans vote. Critical decisions about administering elections should reside primarily with state and local governments, as provided for in the U.S. Constitution. What we do need from Washington are the resources to staff up and increase our capacity to deal with unanticipated problems.  …

Tina Barton is clerk of the City of Rochester Hills, Michigan. Kammi Foote is clerk/recorder and registrar of voters at Inyo County, Calif. Paddy McGuire is auditor of Mason County in Washington.