In defense of the truth - it does matter

Does the truth matter?

Here at the Journal it does.

During much of the campaign season, the newspaper has strived to stay above the fray of acrimony that has surrounded our political discourse.

We have a long history of not endorsing candidates for office, something I am proud that we continued this year.

What we do stand up for, however, is the truth.

Why?

Because the truth DOES matter.

The race for Mason County auditor between incumbent Democrat Paddy McGuire and his Republican challenger Steve Duenkel has been one of the most acrimonious races our county has seen in modern history.

It's drawn attention from Seattle-based TV stations and print media, as well as The Associated Press and other national media.

Much of that attention has been focused on Duenkel's work with a voter research project that has attempted to sow doubt about the safety and security of the county's elections.

Seattle TV station KING 5 sent an investigative reporting team to the county to look into the claims and found the majority of "anomalies" to be uncredible or mistakes by the researchers, such as visiting the wrong address or simply not understanding Washington state law.

State law brings me to the most vital point of this column.

Over the past several months, Duenkel has tried to create doubt around the certification of Mason County's election machines.

These attempts have continued with a paid advertisement on Page 13 (Note: At the Journal, like most newspapers, advertising and editorial are operated independently) in which Duenkel uses as single line from an email, purportedly from the United States Election Assistance Committee, that says ClearBallot 2.1, which the county uses for voting, isn't certified by the EAC.

While this is true, it's also irrelevant.

State law doesn't require direct EAC certification. It requires certification from an EAC-certified independent testing authority. The state used Pro V&V certification to meet the applicable RCW code and certify the system.

But wait, Duenkel says, Pro V&V's accreditation was expired when they did the testing - seemingly acknowledging that direct EAC certification isn't required.

This is also irrelevant.

The certification of an independent testing authority can't be revoked unless specifically voted upon by EAC commissioners.

All it took to debunk these claims was an internet connection and 10 minutes of time - and we spent a lot more time than that looking into them.

Politicians are notorious for fibbing or exaggerating when it suits them.

As we head to the final days of this election season, don't let yourself get bamboozled. Make the time to do your own research and don't be afraid to question anything a candidate tells you.

The truth matters.