Non-Partisan Group of Quality Experts Aim to Reform the Election Process by Making It Easier to Vote and Harder to Cheat

MARIETTA, Ga., April 26, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Center for Electoral Quality and Integrity (CEQI), a non-partisan group of quality experts, is seeking to make it easier to vote and harder to cheat in elections throughout the United States. The CEQI was created by ASQ, the US based global professional organization that has been supporting governments and business apply the principles and techniques of quality since 1946. The CEQI aims to apply recognized quality standards, already in use in a wide variety of industries, to the most fundamental component of our democracy. The following are among the major approaches the CEQI will promote to help make elections "Easy to vote and hard to cheat":

• In cooperation with election officials and subject matter experts, develop and share a best practices elections systems model that will provide a basis for evaluating the operational quality and effectiveness of electoral organizations.
• Gathering and sharing the "Voice of the Voters" on their expectations on the methods and measures of electoral systems at a national and state level.
• Providing objective validation of electoral organizations that voluntarily seek to have their operations and results examined relative to the best practices model and the voter expectations of their state.
• Promoting proven quality improvement tools and techniques, such as Failure Mode and Effects Analysis, to reduce the risk of failures and increase confidence in elections.

Founding CEQI Chair and 2023 ASQ Board Treasurer, Kerry Bass, is an executive consultant with several professional quality certifications who resides in Cobb County, GA. "During the last several elections, I personally experienced the impact of crowded polling centers, long lines, and in the last election, the questions caused by the mishandling of absentee ballots and inaccurate counts," stated Kerry. "These experiences inspired me to help found CEQI and find a way to promote quality and integrity in democratic elections throughout the United States."

Quality professionals who are trained to analyze and evaluate processes are concerned it may be easy to cheat. CEQI recently conducted the Voting Process Satisfaction Survey to learn more about voter perceptions of election quality. Of the 2,350 respondents to an ASQ member survey, 86% felt that it was "Easy to Vote," but only 57% felt it was "Hard to Cheat." Even amongst this group of quality professionals, the big question is, can people still cheat in their elections? The overwhelming answer is "Yes"! While misinformation and disinformation are a major source of this concern, there are actual opportunities for error and fraud in our elections. Among them are:

• Inaccurate and untimely management of absentee ballots
• Mishandling of paper ballots or other physical mediums, like memory sticks, with results
• Inappropriate access to ballots and voting equipment

Unfortunately, in an effort to make their elections more secure, some electoral organizations are taking actions that may make them less secure. For instance, some are considering eliminating electronic voting and tabulating systems in favor of a return to all paper systems. Additionally, some states are dropping their participation in the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC), a member state funded and governed non-partisan non-profit organization created to improve the accuracy of voter records.

CEQI is working to launch a national poll on election integrity, in partnership with the School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Georgia, to identify general voter perceptions on whether it is easy to vote, and hard to cheat. The results from this survey will be used to create benchmarks and best practices which can then be tested by and shared with election officials throughout the country. 

To connect with CEQI and learn more about their efforts, or learn how you can support the nation-wide survey, please visit  https://elections.asq.org. 

CEQI Chairman Kerry Bass is available for interviews. He can be reached via email at [email protected] or phone at 470-940-3863.

Contact: Kerry Bass
Cell - 470-940-3863
[email protected] 

SOURCE ASQ Center for Electoral Quality and Integrity