We’re almost in the year 2025 and elections in the United States of America still aren’t 100% secure, according to general public opinion. Election security isn’t guaranteed for many countries around the world. But to put it frankly, most countries don’t have the power and resources that the U.S. has yet we’re still not where we need to be as far as security and efficiency in how we count our election results.

It shouldn’t be a radical idea to suggest that any election held in America should have the results in by midnight at the latest. Take a look at Florida for example. They were able to count their presidential election results in just a few hours. Meanwhile other states like California and Arizona take days sometimes weeks to count all of their results.

This simply shouldn’t happen and it causes citizens to lose their trust in the United States’s election processes. If results can’t be counted in several hours, what makes people confident that their votes are secure in general? In fact, it’s easy to say that many aren’t confident at all, especially after reports continue to pour out that show how ballots have either been lost or mistakenly discarded from the 2024 elections.

One report out of Wisconsin, which was a crucial swing state in the 2024 presidential election, is especially worrying. Politicians and government officials can’t keep encouraging Americans to vote when they won’t do anything about the un-secure election processes that plague our current system. And the latest story out of Wisconsin is just another example of that.

Nearly 200 Absentee Ballots Went Uncounted in Wisconsin’s November Election

Election officials in Wisconsin recently revealed that nearly 200 absentee ballots were left uncounted during the November general election. While the oversight did not alter the outcome of any race, the discovery highlights the critical need for rigorous election processes to maintain voter trust. The City of Madison Clerk’s Office announced that 193 absentee ballots were found “during post-election reconciliation and cleanup” in sealed carrier containers. Upon discovering the mistake, the clerk’s office promptly notified the state election board on December 20 and began contacting the affected voters to inform them of the error.

To prevent such errors in the future, the Clerk’s Office plans to implement stricter procedures. “Moving forward, every polling location will receive a list of absentee envelope seal numbers that will be verified as counted on Election Day,” a statement from the office said. “The goal of the Clerk’s Office is that each eligible voter will be able to cast a ballot and have that ballot counted. Falling short of this goal for the November 2024 Election, we sincerely apologize to our voters and will strive to make sure this never happens again.”

Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway (D) was very disappointed and emphasized the need for corrective action. “This oversight is a significant departure from the high standard our residents expect and must be addressed and avoided in future elections,” she said in a statement released Thursday. Rhodes-Conway also pledged a thorough review of the city’s election policies and procedures to ensure the integrity of future elections. “My office is committed to taking whatever corrective action is necessary to maintain a high standard of election integrity in Madison, and to provide ongoing transparency into that process,” she stated. “I also wish to offer an apology to affected voters. You have my word that immediate steps will be taken to ensure this kind of mistake will not happen again.”

The issue of uncounted ballots comes at a time when election integrity remains a highly scrutinized topic nationwide. Although President-elect Donald Trump claimed widespread election fraud after the 2020 elections, no substantial evidence supported those allegations. In Wisconsin, Trump defeated Vice President Kamala Harris in the November election by a margin of nearly 30,000 votes, so these missing ballots didn’t impact this race, but they could have if the race was a few percentage points closer.

The Importance of Secure Elections

This incident serves as a stark reminder of the importance of secure elections in the United States. Confidence in election systems is the cornerstone of democracy, ensuring that every eligible voter has their voice heard and their vote counted accurately. Even small mistakes, such as the uncounted ballots in Madison, can undermine public trust in the electoral process if not promptly addressed. Election officials nationwide must continually adapt and improve processes to meet the challenges of modern elections, including managing large volumes of absentee and mail-in ballots. Transparent communication about errors and corrective measures, like those taken by the City of Madison Clerk’s Office, is essential to rebuilding and maintaining voter confidence.

Secure elections are also a safeguard against misinformation and unfounded claims of fraud. When election systems are robust and errors are rare, they leave less room for narratives that could erode public faith in democratic institutions. By investing in better training for poll workers, adopting advanced technologies for ballot tracking, and conducting regular audits, election officials can fortify the integrity of the process.

As the nation looks ahead to future elections, the stakes for ensuring a seamless and secure voting process are higher than ever. Every effort must be made to guarantee that no ballot goes uncounted and that all voters can trust the outcome, regardless of the election’s result. Efforts also need to be made to count ballots in a quicker and more efficient manner. If weeks are being taken to count ballots, then the general public may assume that fraud is occurring in order to change the outcome of the election. And that’s the last thing the country needs, especially during high stakes elections like a presidential one.

Do you think the United States could do a better job in counting ballots? What do you think the U.S. should do in order to make the election counting process better? As always, let us know down in the comments below!