County officials are working to update election rules in response to wide-sweeping changes state lawmakers put in place to make elections more secure.
New rules put in place by state lawmakers will require every county in the state to enact changes in how to handle elections, said Steve Huddleston, an attorney representing the Johnson County Election Board.
For Johnson County, that means dozens of changes, including when seals have to be placed on voting machines and electronic pollbooks, to tracking absentee ballots mailed out and the types of tests done on voting machines prior to each election, he said. The state has set aside money to reimburse counties for election security expenses, Huddleston said.
The new rules will also require changes to how voting equipment is stored at early voting sites. Voting machines will now need to be stored in a locked room only accessible to people designated by the election board, Huddleston said.
While the county has not had any security issues, implementing the new rules will help voters feel confident that election results are legitimate and haven’t been tampered with, Johnson County Clerk Sue Misiniec said.
The election board, which is comprised of the county clerk and a representative from both the Republican and Democratic parties, approved directing Huddleston to draft a new set of security protocols that would be put in place prior to the general election.
