Election Systems: "Obviously Flawed"
Elections official asks Governor for official action
After a series of election-related problems in Pulaski County, Election Commissioner Michael White has asked Governor Sarah Sanders for action to investigate and correct the obvious exposed flaws in our state’s election systems.
We couldn’t agree more! With his permission, we publish his request below.
If you agree, you can do two things: get to know your election commissioners and learn as much as you can about how elections can be properly conducted. (Have you ever worked in the polls or to register voters?) You can also join Michael to contact Governor Sanders and ask for corrective action on problems so our election system truly can be operationally strong, not just appearing so on paper.
Madame Governor,
I first want to congratulate your administration, and the general assembly you oversee, on rising to #1 in election integrity according to the Heritage Foundation. It is certainly an achievement worth celebrating and we are right for doing so.
With that said, as an elections commissioner in your state's largest county, I urge you and your team to recognize a key distinction: that this ranking focuses on statutes, and not the systems behind them.
We have a serious issue which has been raised regarding how voter data can be manipulated internally; namely, "redistricting on demand", whereby rogue low level employees can re-assign (in nearly real time) what ballot style a voter is to receive during early voting and on election day.
This critical systems exploit can be used to dilute certain political districts to sway the vote one way, while bolstering another to sway it the other way.
The South Arkansas Reckoning has done amazing journalistic work to uncover this. I would invite your team to review their findings.
I am discussing matters that have already been proven to have occurred and have had real world impacts. They are not speculation. In fact, according to the State Board of Election Commissioners, it happened here in Pulaski County at least in 2020, 2022, and 2024. The State Board also seemingly recognizes that at least the third instance appears intentional, and was committed by a 20 year long department employee who promptly resigned upon the discovery of the action. That employee may have had good reason to leave a long and storied career so suddenly - as their actions possibly rise to the level of a felony under the very statutes being praised.
But yet there have been, as of now, no prosecutions; and information is limited to us on any criminal investigation or if even one is occurring at all.
I know that you share with me a deep concern for the voters of this state. If this security flaw remains unchecked... if we fail to ascertain the exact scope and nature of what occurred in 2024... we can have amazing voter laws, but the results can still be altered.
Once again, I do join you in heralding the laws we have that are strong but no law can substitute for operational integrity. If we don’t get to the bottom of how voter information had been manipulated, and take additional steps to secure these issues from both a legislative and operational standpoint, I fear we’re building a gold plated house on a cracked foundation.
Respectfully,
-Michael White, Elections Commissioner, Pulaski County
White presented his letter to the Pulaski County Republican Committee at its June 19 meeting in Little Rock (from Facebook):