Counting votes is not rocket science

Something is terribly wrong when the fate of our national political direction boils down to recounts.

Ballot recounts underway in Florida clearly don't pass the smell test.

The American public is tiring of "mystery" ballots surfacing long after the polls have closed.

And when the outcome of those missing ballots is in the hands of a partisan politician, it taints the electoral process now and forever.

All we ask as Americans is a fair and honest election. Our democracy is based on this singular principle.

Yet if you think this fiasco is bad, can you imagine the potential fraud and abuse that would occur with expanded voting, mail-in ballots, early voting and even the potential for internet voting?

In the case of Florida specifically, what logical argument can be made for allowing non-citizens to vote?

Critical recounts rarely if ever occur in rural areas. It's the urban swamps that miraculously discover missing ballot by the thousands. And though my memory may be fuzzy, I am hard pressed to cite an instance where those missing votes favored the Republican candidate.

I assume that is just a coincidence.

If the urban argument is too few polling locations which results in long lines, then by all means, increase the voting outlets.

And if partisan politics is ever remotely part of the problem, put some law enforcement agency in charge of the counting process.

In our rural region, we are blessed with dedicated volunteers who serve at our election locations. These poll workers may carry a party label but I would bet good money they would never consider fudging the votes in their partisan favor.

Urban centers are different monsters. And our faith and trust in the electoral process is severely damaged when the appearance of fraud comes into play.

I am most certainly not labeling all Democrats as evil, election-manipulators or fraudsters. Far from it.

Trying to illegally impact any election result is a non-partisan crime and should be treated accordingly.

Honestly, I am less concerned about the recount results than I am with the erosion of trust in our electoral process.

The current mantra is "every vote counts." But perhaps more accurately it should be "every legal vote counts."

You have to admit that in our current political, polarized electorate, it looks as if ample wrongdoing is underway.

We still have no answer to the IRS targeting conservative groups. We still have no answer to the highly questionable chain of events that led to the Mueller probe. And last I heard, Mrs. Clinton's mysterious 30,000 emails were still in hiding.

But more than the wrongdoing, where are the consequences? Why are officials not held accountable?

Perhaps when the smoke clears on the recounts, a finger will be pointed directly at someone who played loose and fast with the law.

And in a perfect world, that person or persons would face the consequences of the law.

Now that alone would be worth a recount.

Michael Jensen is the publisher of the Standard Democrat in Sikeston, Missouri.