Jeff Coleman: Trust elections and good neighbors

It was 1986 when a presidential election first captured my imagination — the contest between incumbent Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos and challenger Corazon Aquino. As an 11-year-old American living in the Philippines, for me it was the ultimate master class in democracy.

Marcos risked his dictatorship by declaring a snap election. He lost the bet, refused to concede, then somewhat predictably staged a counter-inauguration at the presidential palace. Days later, the “Strongman of Asia” was evacuated on an overnight U.S. Air Force flight to Honolulu.

In the months following, a few thousand Marcos “Loyalists” staged weekly rallies in Manila, fanning hope their president would one day reclaim the palace. He never did, but, 36 years later, his son and namesake would.

In all of Asia, the Filipino democracy was most likely to succeed. It had an American-style constitution, economic system and what appeared to be highly functioning democratic institutions. But for two decades, Marcos chipped away at constitutional freedoms and plundered the nation’s wealth. Even while he claimed to be a champion for democracy, his actions proved the opposite.

Fourteen years later, I was home in Pennsylvania and newly elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives — historically one of the oldest and sturdiest of the world’s democratic bodies. Unlike in the Philippines, democracies — my election came with no threat of ballot thievery, violence, bribery or military intervention.

Public confidence in the American electoral process spans hundreds of years, perfected under the watchful eyes of many thousands of poll watchers, workers, judges of elections, board of elections officials and a bipartisan cast of county officials.

In Pennsylvania, we trust the results of elections — from school board to governor — because our system is guarded by neighbors. We know the people behind the desk checking off our names and asking if our children want an “I voted” sticker. We know the man or woman explaining the new touchscreen voting menu and closing the privacy curtain. And, after the polls close, we know who posted the tally sheets to the American Legion or fire hall door. Each one of these touchpoints reflects the character and goodness of someone we know by name.

That’s why our system of selecting citizen leaders works.

By the time the polls open at 7 a.m. Nov. 5, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania will have invested tens of millions of dollars to continue strengthening our elections processes. Even so, nothing beats the conscience-­informed volunteer who lives next door.

I trust Pennsylvania’s system to be as good as the character of my neighbors. But, this year, the commonwealth’s unchallenged status as a presidential battleground state means busloads of paid consultants and activists — on both sides — have an interest in keeping tensions high. Suspicion serves a dark purpose. Uncertainty gives partisan lawyers room to maneuver if either side fails to win decisively.

We don’t have to fall for it.

The only way the outsiders win is by undermining the quiet, unsung work of everyday Election Day heroes. And the only way to avoid serious injury to Pennsylvania’s elections is to enlist the tireless work of delivering free and fair elections.

I’ve watched a democracy fall and rise again through the vigilance of watchful and engaged citizens. When the global press lands in Penn’s Woods searching for whispers of doubt, let’s tell them the story of why we trust elections and the people who run them.

Jeff Coleman, a Republican, is a former member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and a 2022 candidate for the GOP nomination for lieutenant governor.