Voter Integrity Event “Behind The Curtain- A Look Into Tennessee Elections” Draws Hundreds; Primary Message: Elections Need To Be Transparent, Simple And Auditable

Image Credit: TN SOS

The Tennessee Conservative [By Kelly M. Jackson] –

On Saturday March 11th, at the Embassy Suites Ballroom, an event that featured a who’s who of well-known voter integrity experts, brought their experience and expertise before a packed room of over 200 people. 

Voters from all over the state of Tennessee gathered to listen and learn from those who have spent the last several years (some even well before 2020 – the election cycle that jarred America out of its slumber when it comes to election integrity) present their information and make recommendations that they feel will ensure the safety of our votes here in Tennessee.

The event was sponsored by Tennessee Stands, a grassroots organization that was founded in the midst of the covid pandemic due to Tennessee state government and Governor Bill Lee abusing the laws of the state to close down schools and businesses, impose mandates, and lend power to bureaucracies like state and county level health departments, that were not afforded to them by our state constitution. All of which, taking place through executive order. 

In a bi-partisan effort, the speakers had a simple and concise message for the crowd, a list of to-dos that when administered in the correct order will restore the ultimate integrity to our elections, ensuring the safety of what we as Americans hold sacrosanct, and that is our vote. 

The list is as follows:

1.)  PRECINCT VOTING: get rid of Vote Centers that cannot be secured or audited properly.

2.) SECURITY: Hand marked, hand counted Paper Ballots are the surest way to guarantee total security.

3.) TECHNOLOGY: Anything machine based is always vulnerable to manipulation of outcomes.

4.) TRANSPARENCY: Elections MUST be simplified in order to be auditable and understandable; every voter deserves this. 

The second largest take away from the conference was that there is too much NGO (Non-Government Organizations) and corporate money being used to influence legislators, manipulate processes, and thwart true election integrity at all levels. 

Emceed by Executive director of Tennessee Stands, Gary Humble, keynote speakers included Mark Finchem, Arizona Secretary of State Candidate; Bennie Smith, Memphis Election Commissioner; Garland Favorito, Co-Founder of VoterGA; and Clay Parikh, Cyber Security Expert. Additionally, speakers who represented influential groups such as Cleta Mitchell’s Election Integrity Network, The Virginia Institute For Public Policy, and The Conservative Partnership Institute were also featured. 

Noted was attendees overwhelming primary concern, which is that the Tennessee General Assembly and our Secretary of State Tre Hargett, have refused to act on important election integrity efforts that address all the concerns that were highlighted during the conference, instead deferring to a ranking bestowed on the state by The Heritage Foundation, which somehow despite the gaping holes in Tennessee election processes, has ranked Tennessee at the top of their list of states with the best election integrity efforts.

Garland Favarito, of Voter GA, most notably the attorney who has been litigating the 2020 election in the state of Georgia, pointed out that prior to that election, the Heritage Foundation had recognized that state as the gold standard for election integrity. In other words, it seems The Heritage Foundation’s standard used to rank a state’s voting processes is lacking, and not by a little.

As a result of the apathy on the state and even county levels, there has been a cooperative movement across Tennessee, forming an Election Integrity Coalition, helmed by Williamson County’s Kathy Harms, one of the speakers at the event. 

The EIC’s contention is that without elections that provide equal access and a secure ballot, the future of American liberty is in jeopardy. The organization has endeavored to involve legislators from across the state, but unfortunately have been met with everything from tentative reluctance to outright repudiation. 

This session, a handful of bills have been filed to address all the issues raised by EIC, by even fewer legislators, most of which are freshman legislators like Representative Bryan Richey (R-D20-Maryville) and Jody Barrett (R-D69-Dickson), carried in the Senate by Senators Janice Bowling (R-D16-Tulllahoma) and Joey Hensley (R-D28-Hohenwald). 

Incidentally, the only legislator in attendance on Saturday was Representative Jody Barrett, a sign that very few of those in our Tennessee General Assembly simply do not see a need to address the voter integrity issues that do exist, and instead choose to rest on laurels that conservative organizations create for them, whether or not they are based on actual merit. 

There will be a recorded version of the event available soon on the Tennessee Stands website. If you don’t already receive their email newsletters, follow the link, and get signed up so you don’t miss out on any important updates as they develop during what is left of our current General Session, and learn how you can get engaged through volunteer opportunities or giving. 

The scale and size of the event -should send a very clear message to our Tennessee state legislators, voters are aware that serious voter integrity issues exist, and that there are organizations and people within Tennessee who will not stop bringing those issues to their attention until they act.

About the Author: Kelly Jackson is a recent escapee from corporate America, and a California refugee to Tennessee. Christ follower, Wife and Mom of three amazing teenagers. She has a BA in Comm from Point Loma Nazarene University, and has a background in law enforcement and human resources. Since the summer of 2020, she has spent any and all free time in the trenches with local grassroots orgs, including Mom’s for Liberty Williamson County and Tennessee Stands as a core member.  Outspoken advocate for parents rights, medical freedom, and individual liberty. Kelly can be reached at kelly@tennesseeconservativenews.com.

One thought on “Voter Integrity Event “Behind The Curtain- A Look Into Tennessee Elections” Draws Hundreds; Primary Message: Elections Need To Be Transparent, Simple And Auditable

  • March 13, 2023 at 4:51 pm
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    Major problem is Municipal and judicial elections in E Tennessee, maybe entire State, are held in early August? Why because lack of voters ,as children are not in schools and persons on vacation. Should be a Fall election. Fake News says everything is Republican good in Tennessee. No Way. Just another corrupt group taking over Peoples responsibilities and doing favors for their friends & Donors. Term Limits necessary.

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