The column below reflects the views of the author, and these opinions are neither endorsed nor supported by WisOpinion.com.

MILWAUKEE, Wis. – Paulina Gutierez, the hard-nosed director of the city of Milwaukee Election Commission, recently showed a group of two dozen Wisconsin citizens how voting machines are tested and prepared for Election Day and the lengthy validation period that follows.

From cyber-locks to physical padlocks for tallies delivered with a police escort, it’s a process with multiple checks and balances. While some security steps are unique to Milwaukee, it’s emblematic of Wisconsin’s localized elections system – which should reassure citizens from all walks of life, including the business sector. 

Random mistakes are made at the polls – but they’re almost always caught during the official post-election canvass. Systematic fraud is virtually impossible, due to the diligence of 1,943 clerks at the city, county, village and town levels with guidance from the bipartisan Wisconsin Election Commission.

The Milwaukee demonstration attended by members of the non-partisan “Pillars of the Community” drew a statewide mix of observers, including business leaders who worry that incessant and unfounded claims of election fraud will undermine confidence in the U.S. economy over time.

If the credibility of elections crumbles for no proven reason, everything from attracting foreign investment to U.S. shores to the dollar’s status as the world’s primary currency will be at risk.

It’s an irony that seems lost on President Trump, who regularly talks about maintaining a vibrant economy while routinely alleging widespread electoral fraud without any evidence to back it up.

“Our business would not be worth what it is today in almost any other country,” said Sachin Shivaram, chief executive officer for the Manitowoc-based Wisconsin Aluminum Foundry Co. It’s a fifth-generation, family-owned casting firm with 1,100 employees at foundries in four states.

In countries such as China, where “rule by law” is state controlled and contracts can be broken almost at will, private businesses are vulnerable. Credible elections help to sustain a much different environment in the United States.

“But the constant attacks on our electoral system undermine that (structure). Things could unravel here,” said Shivaram, who attended the Milwaukee polling machine test.

Claire Gray of Forward Janesville, who also watched the step-by-step demonstration in Milwaukee, agreed that undermining election credibility is dangerous to business stability.

“I think trust in our electoral system is fundamental, particularly now,” said Gray, who leads strategic initiatives for Forward Janesville as it aims to bolster that city’s economy. “If you lose trust in elections, I don’t know what you have left… Elections at the local level, administered by people who are local, is the last redoubt.”

The “Pillars” group, which operates in seven states, is led by long-time Republican lawyer Ben Ginsberg and Democrat elections expert Bob Bauer. It exists to bolster faith in elections by hosting conversations with community leaders and election officials about efforts to deliver elections that meet voter expectations for reliability and security.

“If people don’t have faith in elections, it can not only make it much harder for elected officials to get anything of substance done when they’re in office, but it can really affect the stability of the American economy.” Ginsberg said after the Milwaukee event.

Here are examples of safeguards in Wisconsin’s decentralized system:

  • A typical general election is staffed by 30,000 to 40,000 poll workers in roughly 4,000 locations. That includes inspectors and election “observers,” who can watch all public aspects of the process from three feet to eight feet away.
  • Local poll workers check identities against official poll books. They also help set up polling places along with many other same-day details. Electronic voting machines provide a printed document saved for inspection purposes if there are questions.
  • The state commission is updated daily on possible ineligible voters, including people who have died, who are non-citizens, or who are otherwise undocumented. There is coordination with other states and federal agencies such as the Department of Homeland Security and its Immigration and Customs Enforcement service.

“Everyone is watching to make sure the process is safe, secure and fair,” Gutierez told those watching the mandatory Oct. 24 voting machine test. Election deniers may never believe that, but their unfounded skepticism risks economic dysfunction.

Still is past president of the Wisconsin Technology Council. He is an adviser to Competitive Wisconsin Inc., a non-profit public policy group.