One of the hats that I have worn in my 90 years of life is election warden for the town, now city of Sanford. In this period of pillorying the election process, calling it rigged, I want to attest to why we should be proud as Americans that we have devised a system that guarantees the opposite.

Built into the election process are a number of safeguards that call for an exactitude with which anyone familiar with audits is well aware. The paperwork and tally forms are checked and double-checked.

Another part of the process that is not only satisfying but also crucial to the integrity of an election is the bipartisan nature of it. For every Democratic election worker, there is a corresponding Republican or vice versa: Any form had to be signed by members of both parties. What made it so satisfying was that we worked as a team, not as political rivals. The goal was never to favor one candidate over another but always to follow the rules and get it right.

So, my hat’s off to the secretary of state, the city and town voting registrars, the wardens, the deputy wardens and election clerks. They are the pillars of this wonderful experiment we call democracy. Because of them, each and every election is assured to be a true record of the will of the people. When the vote for a particular candidate is certified there can be no doubt who is the winner. Hurray for the red, white and blue!

Fred Boyle
Springvale