Sadly, there has been much wild speculation surrounding voter fraud and election rigging, This paranoia at the national level has rubbed off on some local residents who have begin to doubt the integrity of the election process.

No need to be alarmed, says Barton County Election Officer Donna Zimmerman. Her office has had systems and procedures in place for years that involve many layers of testing and re-testing, and locking and re-locking, as well as other precautions. There is also intensive training for poll workers.

“We take this very seriously,” she said. They do everything in their power to preserve the sanctity of voting.

But, this is not to say there aren’t those who would seek to interrupt the election here. With a mandate from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Zimmerman and her staff are on alert, she said.

We are lucky here to live in an area where most folks understand the value of law and believe in the value of civic responsibility. We stop at stop signs, for the most part, help our neighbors and vote.

We may grumble at the rules, but trust that our local officials have our best interests at heart. We may also disagree on who should win in the Nov. 8 general election, but most of us will still be friends regardless on Nov. 9.

Zimmerman and her department are doing everything they can to make the election safe and secure. The rest of us need to put our worries to rest.

Dale Hogg