Concerned Citizens Become Confident About Carbon County Elections
By Denise Rivette
A prominent local Republican couple, Cynthia Marble and Scott Kreamer, had serious concerns about the integrity of U.S. elections after the results of the 2020 and 2022 elections were called into question. They decided they wanted to see for themselves how elections are conducted in Carbon County; so for the June 2024 primary election, Marble became a poll watcher and Kreamer a poll worker to have eyes on the entire process. Both were pleased with the level of professionalism and transparency in the system and came away reassured that elections in Carbon County are, in fact, free and fair.
Marble said that as a poll watcher, she saw nothing concerning as she watched voters cast their votes and the precinct workers process them. She stated she was “very impressed” and “reassured” after seeing for herself how Carbon County Elections Administrator Crystal Roascio and her team run the operation.
Kreamer, who worked in the ballot counting room, was able to observe the nuts and bolts of ballot counting and shared his experience.
Kreamer watched the ballot processing procedure from Roascio checking signatures on absentee ballot envelopes through the tabulating process. “I was on a team with two other people, and we were receiving the ballots and in doing that there's checks, there's double checks, and sometimes triple checks all along the way.
“I was impressed and happy to see those people down there: Crystal, Macque [Bohleen], Kathleen Delahanty and Lola Ashby. They're very diligent, and they take it very seriously; and I don't see, at least in the tabulation room, I don't see where you could really get away with anything, even if you tried.”
Kreamer was previously convinced that hand counting ballots was the best way to ensure accurate vote counting. “I've always been in favor of hand counting paper ballots, and the more electronic, digital, and internet things are involved, the less I like it. But these machines, all they do is count, and then there's one report that goes to the state. I think that's secure and I think it's efficient. It seems like as fast, efficient and secure of a system as you could probably get. I know others that have been in the process before, there was at one time they ran a test between hand counting and the machines and all of the errors that came up were from human beings.”
“I had concerns, particularly about the voting machines, but after working the tabulation process down there at Crystal's office for 10 hours, any concerns I had relative to to our county were greatly relieved. I was very favorably impressed, and my confidence in the system was greatly enhanced by my experience down there. I always knew Crystal and Macque ran a good show. I mean, that was never a question for me. But for me, being the first time I had done it, it was very instructional, very, very educational to experience it. And like I said, it really made me confident that we have a good, secure system here in this county.”
While Kreamer and Marble aren’t ready to say all American election systems are secure and fairly run, they are confident in the integrity of election administration in Carbon County.
Tomorrow is Election Day! Vote and rest assured in the knowledge that, in Carbon County, your voice will be heard through the ballot box.
Elections nationwide are as secure as they have ever been. Voter suppression is the biggest, and very real, threat to our democracy. And it’s odd that those who complain about election integrity suddenly aren’t concerned when their candidate wins.