Ross: When voting this week remember the oath that you take
Jul 29, 2022, 6:30 AM | Updated: Oct 7, 2024, 9:57 am
(Photo by Karen Ducey/Getty Images)
(Photo by Karen Ducey/Getty Images)
This is voting weekend 鈥� the last weekend before your ballots are due for the .
And so, this is a good time to remember that when you vote, you take an oath.
It鈥檚 printed on the back of the envelope. And you must sign that oath 鈥� either with your signature, or a mark witnessed by two people 鈥� for your ballot to count.
Here’s what the oath says: that you solemnly swear or affirm that you are: a United States Citizen; a Washington resident; at least 18 years old by the day of the general election; that you are voting only once; that you are not disqualified from voting due to a court order or a criminal record; and that you are aware it is illegal to forge a signature or cast another person鈥檚 ballot.
It鈥檚 an oath taken under the penalty of perjury, which means that if you lie, you can go to jail for five years.
What I like about this oath is that it states the necessary minimum conditions for a fair election, because if everybody abides by that oath, fraud 鈥� is impossible.
But what I don’t like about the oath is that it doesn鈥檛 go far enough. Because it should also say: 鈥淚 solemnly swear that I will accept the certified results of this election, absent proof of fraud in a court of law.鈥�
And heck, as long as I鈥檓 at it, let鈥檚 add this clause: 鈥淚 do solemnly swear that I have read and familiarized myself with the contents of the voter’s pamphlet pertaining to the races in which I have cast votes, and have not simply voted randomly.鈥�
And maybe one more thing鈥� since lately we have a problem with prominent Americans not keeping their oaths 鈥� a clause that reads, 鈥淚 do solemnly swear that since an oath only means something if one believes in divine punishment for violating oaths, that I hereby accept all the divine punishment I may have coming.
That should cover it.
Listen to Seattle鈥檚 Morning News with Dave Ross and Colleen O鈥橞rien weekday mornings from 5 鈥� 9 a.m. on 成人X站 Newsradio, 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the聽podcast here.
