A week doesn’t go by without me considering stopping by Lycoming County Voter Services and changing my political affiliation to Independent. The very thought that Senator Mitch McConnell is the face of the Republican Party is a good enough reason to change by itself. He is an example of the problem in Washington, not the solution. I put him right alongside President Joe Biden and so many others that need to go. All of what is witnessed each and every day out of our Nation’s Capital has been created on their lifetime watch through their legislation. And now they want us to believe they’re the solution.

The very election of President Donald Trump should have sent the message to the Republican party of needing to change. But here we are, with the same old ideas and the same old Republican leadership feeding at the trough of the American taxpayer.

There are three reasons I haven’t stopped by and said hello to the ladies at Voter Services and changed that R to an I. Let me explain.

First, I don’t want to lose the opportunity to vote in the May Primary election. Second, I don’t want it to appear as a negative statement towards our locally elected officials. I think they do a great job and have helped protect our area from many of the problems As Seen on TV. And last, I still have hope that the Republican party will change and listen to ideas from our locally elected and constituents at every level. The socialistic agenda being carried out by those representing the Democratic Party is beyond repair. I have written for years that every day, hardworking Democrats need to take their party back; unfortunately, that opportunity has passed.

So, that gets us to the point of my article and the most important thing to the continued freedoms provided by the Constitution of the United States of America.

We the People, need to have faith, trust, and belief that our election process is not tainted. That no matter what your beliefs are, your vote counts and is counted. That illegal votes are not canceling out your vote.

The following is just plain common sense that should be supported by every elected official and voter in our Nation. First and foremost, we must have voter identification. There is nothing you can do in our Nation without identification, and rightfully so, with all the identity theft and fraud that takes place every minute. Not to mention, if you cannot obtain personal identification, you probably shouldn’t be voting anyway.

So, here’s the simple fix for someone who doesn’t have a driver’s license or is unable to produce or purchase identification. At no charge, there is a barcoded voting identification card provided that is similar to a driver’s license. This is done by the state you reside in and managed by your local election overseers. If transportation to vote is a problem, it is provided for you by local entities funded by state and federal tax dollars. Every eight years, you must update your photo/voter registration card. Please remember, the only people that will need this are those that do not have a driver’s license or acceptable identification. Every American should provide proper identification every time they vote.

Next, there must be some legitimacy for you to require an absentee ballot. If you do obtain an absentee ballot, it must be received by local voter services two weeks prior to the election. All absentee ballots must be counted by the day before the election. No exceptions.

There is absolutely no way we can trust the integrity of the election to the United States Postal Service. It is not what the USPS was designed and intended for. However, if you choose to mail it in, it is up to the voter to have that ballot in the mail so that it’s received no later than two weeks prior to election day.

The mail-in ballots must be counted by the day before the election. By having the votes counted before the election, this eliminates the opportunity for fraud by either party. If the local office of elections wants to provide a dropbox, it must be monitored by camera and inside the Voter Service’s office.

There must be severe law and order punishment for those that perpetuate any type of criminal activity in our election process. I could make the argument that this is treason and violates the rights of every legally registered voter.

What often goes undiscussed is the fact that you are not required by law to vote in the United States of America. You are making a conscious choice to participate within our democracy. Those that choose to exercise this Constitutional right need to accept the responsibility to maintain its integrity.

Election reform is a bipartisan problem that needs to be solved. It has affected both republican and democratic voters recently. Just in the past five years, I have heard from Democrats that were never going to vote again because Trump was elected and from republicans that were never going to vote again because Biden was elected. Americans must have trust in the process.

A closing thought, I always vote for the best candidate available and should be able to do so in the May Primary. This should be the voters’ option, not limited by political affiliation, especially if you choose to identify yourself as Independent.

God Bless America.