Election integrity symposium informs, inspires civic engagement

Several speakers at a symposium, implemented by the recently formed Phillips County Election Integrity Project, urged 187 attendees to work toward reforms to the current election system. Held in Heginbotham Auditorium at Holyoke High School on Nov. 13, presenters conveyed their concerns about the use of voting and ballot processing machines and other current election protocols. Strategies were shared regarding what can be done to address these concerns, such as working with local elected officials.

The first presenter, who joined remotely, was Sherronna Bishop, host of the “America’s Mom with Sherronna Bishop” podcast series. Additional speakers taking the stage included Tina Peters, former county clerk of Mesa County; Dr. Douglas Frank, physicist, mathematician and national grassroots organizer for election reform; Ron Hanks, former representative of Colorado House District 60; Jeffrey O’Donnell, a Florida-based software and database engineer specializing in election analytics; Jeff Young, director of data and analytics for Cause of America; Kevin Lundberg, former Colorado legislator who is the executive director for the Republican Study Committee of Colorado; Timothy J. Kirkwood, an El Paso County resident who has initiated lawsuits in regards to elections; and Neal Schuerer, Colorado Congressman Doug Lamborn’s former district director and a leader in government reforms.

The PCEIP is a local grass-roots organization that, according to the symposium program’s published membership list, includes 64 members representing approximately 49 households.

It supports action steps toward procedural changes within the election system, as follows: clean out voter rolls, ban all electronic elections equipment, require voter ID with paper ballots only, ban mail-in voting, ban early voting, create drastically smaller precincts, ban ballot harvesting, establish Election Day as a holiday, implement new reporting requirements for transparency and impose heavy prison sentences for all who commit fraud.

The symposium opened with the Pledge of Allegiance by Phillips County Veterans Service Officer Jeremy Kilpatrick and the singing of “The Star-Spangled Banner” by a quartet including Marcia Dalton, Maury Kramer, Karina Davis and Dan Kafka.

David and Julie Dirks gave the welcoming remarks. Pastor Mike Brown led an invocation. Flags for each branch of the military, provided by Holyoke veterans, were displayed on the stage. Brittany Daniel and Tanya Poe presented thank-yous and gifts to presenters. The Future Business Leaders of America had food available for purchase. The symposium concluded with a benediction offered by Gary and Jill Herr.