The election of 2020 was vastly different than any we have previously experienced. With the contentious election complete, it is natural to want to leave it all behind and let our newly elected leaders start their work.

But it is important to recognize one aspect of the electoral process of which many members of the public are not aware: the critical role that city and town personnel play in elections. Without this dedicated group of hardworking individuals, a smooth, free, and fair election would not be possible.

During the election season, the canvassing staffs of Rhode Island’s cities and towns are hard at work registering eligible voters, coordinating hundreds of poll workers, identifying suitable polling locations, processing thousands of mail ballot applications, handling early and emergency voting, and responding to countless questions and concerns from the public.

These local officials are the lynchpin of our elections, and critical to our representative democracy.

As a member and chairman of Cranston Board of Canvassers (a three-person, bipartisan, volunteer board), it has been my privilege to work with the staff in the Cranston Canvassing Department. They have years of departmental experience, and our board relies upon their vast knowledge when making decisions. There have been countless occasions when I have been awed by their herculean efforts to ensure a free, fair, and transparent election, all while navigating an increasingly byzantine collection of laws, statutes, and regulations governing elections that have been promulgated by the state.

2020 was particularly difficult for the entire election apparatus. At the local level, we were constantly dealing with changes in policy and procedures, as well as burdened with new rules and mandates – sometimes questionable and often expensive and unfunded – dictated by the state. But throughout the process, the staff in the Cranston Canvassing Department worked diligently to ensure elections were safe and fair for all eligible voters seeking to exercise their privilege to vote.

Due to the burden of running three elections since June, we also relied upon a significant number of staff from a dozen Cranston city departments for assistance, for which we are grateful. Likewise, our work would have been impossible without the 350 poll workers who stepped up in a pandemic to support early voting and election day operations.

One may be tempted to think now that the election year has passed, the staff will be able to catch their breath, but that is unfortunately not the case.

First, as the General Assembly did not complete its duty of passing a budget by the start of the fiscal year in July 2020, and only belatedly completed its obligation to do so, we are faced with a March 2, 2021, special election for voters to consider state bond questions. This unexpected and unfunded event, with costs for Cranston taxpayers of approximately $50,000 – and over $1.5 million statewide – requires canvassing staff to administer a fourth consecutive election in a nine-month period.

All four of these elections will have been conducted under extraordinary circumstances, without significant financial support from the state, and require election workers to put themselves at personal risk due to the pandemic.

Secondly, the staff is constantly needing to curate the voter list to ensure its validity. What the public does not see is that canvassing departments across the state are constantly bombarded with new voter signups, changes, and duplicate registrations that must be reviewed with attention and thoroughness.

Rhode Island is extremely flexible when it comes to voter registration. Someone can register in person, online, and by mail. Interactions with the state also provide opportunities for voter registration, for example, visiting the Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) or applying for benefits through a state agency (such as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, benefits). These multiple avenues are a positive thing, as they offer a voter multiple opportunities to register and update their information, but also cause a significant need for vigilance to keep the voter rolls in proper order. Most canvassing departments have limited staff and resources, which makes this task increasingly difficult.

Without this diligence, the eligible voter lists would become less and less reliable, leading to potential mistakes at best, and fraud at worst. Cranston administered fair elections this past year with an insignificant number of irregularities. But without the voter roll maintenance done by our staff, that would not have been the case.

For all they do, we should all be incredibly grateful to those who work to provide smooth elections, but most especially those who staff our canvassing offices. Their efforts are often overlooked, but the work that they do to maintain our voter rolls and coordinate elections is critical to the success of our democracy, our form of government, and our free society.

The author is chairperson of the Cranston Board of Canvassers