Gillian Driscoll
In case it has escaped your notice, this is an election year! PebbleCreek (PC) Democrats are stepping up to fill all kinds of voluntary positions to ensure Arizonans experience safe and fair elections. There are many different ways to be involved in the democratic voting system we are blessed to have in our country. One important way is to be a Precinct Committee volunteer.
In PebbleCreek we have 13 Precinct Committee person positions available for the Democratic Party. These positions ensure that we have representation on the County Democratic Party Committee and at the state level. The Precinct Committee is in charge of recommending a successor should an elected Democrat be unable to serve for any reason. Precinct Committee members are trained for the role. They attend district meetings and Maricopa County Democratic Party conventions. They help gather signatures and collect clean election $5 donations to support candidates. They find other volunteers to assist with phone banking, social media, signing up for early voting, helping people register to vote, and more. These are important and valuable positions that support the democratic process.
In addition, individual candidates need assistance with their campaigns. Members of PebbleCreek Democratic Club have been stepping up to volunteer for several of these candidates. Individual members have recently held events for both Secretary of State Adrian Fontes and for Dr. Quacy Smith, Candidate for Legislative District 9 running against incumbent Paul Gosar (R). PC Democratic Club members are motivated to support candidates and keep voters apprised of their voting rights.
Concerned about election security? Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes was recently interviewed on MSNBC and gave information about how his office is ensuring the fairness and safety of the election in our state. They are taking several steps including, teaching election administrators and law enforcement how to identify and refute disinformation campaigns and are working to add digital signatures to verify authentic videos and identify deepfakes. IT teams are being put in place to protect our voting system from cyber-attacks, and staff and volunteers are being taught what to do if a situation escalates. The Secretary’s office is also preparing in case of power outages and, in the words of Secretary Fontes, be “ready for whatever is thrown at us.”
We are fortunate in Arizona to have conscientious and hard working officials taking care of our voting experience. Whatever your political persuasion, make sure you are registered to vote and exercise your right to do so.
The PebbleCreek Democratic Club will not meet in July and August. Our next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 4 in the Tuscany Falls Ballroom. Social hour begins at 6 p.m. and the meeting starts at 7 p.m. Our meetings are open and all are welcome.