Open government for all

What was going to be a standard and straightforward story extolling the integrity of the vote counting process by staff at the Skagit County Office of Elections and open government with the attendant citizen volunteer Democrat and Republican observers has turned into this lament and surprise in decisions made by staff at the county auditor's office.

The back story starts with the Weekly News staff story development meeting listing assignments. With the Aug. 2 primary election looming – and the paper's ever present concern for integrity and democracy – staff agreed that this story topic was a natural, both because it is timely and because it addresses the accusations of elections staff cheating and other false claims around ballot counting in local, state and national elections.

Washingtonians are, and need to be, rightly proud of every aspect of the election process in the state, from having ballots mailed to voters to the 18 day voting period, to the ease multiple location ballot boxes provide to the two week period for counting ballots. From start to finish the process in our state is exemplary.

Stories – and editorials – in newspapers rightly herald and promote local success with the elections process. Thus, a Weekly News assignment. And thus no surprise that there was a front page photo and story in the Aug. 3 Seattle Times and a front page photo of a ballot box in that paper the next day. Editors have similar thought processes in papers large and small. We cannot champion the democratic process too much.

So imagine this paper's staff surprise when the elections office supervisor would not take a phone call to OK scheduling a visit. And imagine the reporter, photographer and editor's surprise when staff were turned away at the elections office door Friday when they arrived in pursuit of the story. Tuesday morning Sandy Perkins, in charge of the elections office as county auditor, returned a Friday phone call from the Weekly News publisher.

Great. But these facts remain. My return call message asked for a meeting with her, with Weekly News news staff, too. I hope we will discuss coverage of the November voting.

Your local newspaper had the same goals and sense to cover the same stories as the large city dailies. Are large county elections officials more aware of the need and worth of having their residents – citizens and constituents – see and learn about a counting process that is very much threatened by closed doors and silence?

The assignment was not intended as a gotcha story. It was planned as an apple pie piece extolling the virtue of our democratic process, which is ongoing week in and week out by everyday government employees right here in Mount Vernon at the Skagit County government offices.

That was the intent. But the closed door and the “no” to the simple request for access has turned a good government story into a bit of hand wringing and an editorial.

Separately, but similarly, a Skagit County Sheriff's Office patrol deputy did not give his name at a car accident near the Rainbow Bridge Friday afternoon, told by his superiors to not speak with the press. Great. How will the public served by law enforcement gain information when officers working for the public decline to talk as a matter of policy?

Recall the First Amendment – freedom of the press not being abridged – was made by our Founding Fathers for a reason. And if Congress shall make no law respecting the freedom of the press, county government staff need to consider its obligation to the people, the citizens, when the press makes a reasonable request.

This planned feel good story turned into a lesson in democracy, or restricting it, and as usual with this newspaper, has citizens' rights front and center.