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canvassing kansas Published by the Office of the Secretary of State EDITORS Brad Bryant Kay Curtis LAYOUT AND DESIGN Tod
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canvassing kansas
SEPTEMBER
2014
AN UPDATE ON ELECTION NEWS FROM THE KANSAS SECRETARY OF STATE’S OFFICE
Primary Election Turnout 20%
IN THIS ISSUE 2 FROM THE DESK OF THE SECRETARY 3
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wenty percent of all registered voters turned out to vote at the August 5 primary election. In a press conference held on Thursday, July 31, Secretary of State Kris Kobach predicted that 381,790, or 22%, of 1,735,395 registered voters would vote in the primary on the following Tuesday. After reports were received from all the county election offices, the actual turnout figure was 350,699, or 20.2%.
Year # Registered 2014 1,735,395 2012 1,719,469 2010 1,706,900 2008 1,652,973 2006 1,646,987 2004 1,591,428 2002 1,588,859 2000 1,557,692 1998 1,493,779 1996 1,352,393
4 NEW CHEYENNE COUNTY CLERK TAKES OFFICE
# Votes 350,699 398,367 429,344 371,121 298,972 488,002 410,630 425,568 439,463 532,294
% Turnout 20.2 23.2 25.2 22.45 18.2 30.7 26 27 29 39
Turnout in primaries is always lower than in general elections because some voters are not eligible to vote in the primary. The primary is a nominating device used by the two major parties to select candidates to represent the parties in the November general election. Persons must be registered voters and affiliated with a given party in order to vote in the party’s primary. Minor party voters - currently, only Libertarians - do not vote in the primary because the party nominates its candidates at a state party convention. Unaffiliated voters who do not wish to join a party do not vote in the primary. Advance voting was slightly lower than in past primaries as a percentage of the total votes cast. There were 68,903 advance ballots cast, including both in-person and by-mail, which is 19.6% of the votes cast. Here is a summary of advance voting in recent elections:
Cont’d on pg. 6
WASHINGTON COUNTY CLERK WEDS
ES&S VOTING SYSTEM CERTIFIED 5
Here is a summary of turnout in recent primaries:
SOS LAUNCHES MOBILE APP FOR VOTERS
NEWBY REAPPOINTED AS JOHNSON COUNTY ELECTION COMMISSIONER
From the desk of the Secretary canvassing kansas Published by the Office of the Secretary of State E DI TO RS Brad Bryant Kay Curtis L AYO U T AN D
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want to use my space in this month’s newsletter to make a few observations about some current trends in election administration in Kansas. We see continued improvements in the administration of elections through the use of electronic poll books. We noted especially that Shawnee County had a good experience with them in the August primary election. Electronic poll books make the voter check-in process go more smoothly now that we have the photo ID requirement. Most voters use their driver’s licenses or nondriver ID cards as their photo IDs, and these can be swiped or scanned with the electronic poll book to instantly bring up the voter’s information.
DE S I GN Todd Caywood C O N TRI BU TO R S Brad Bryant Suggestions or comments?
Speaking of photo ID, the process went smoothly statewide this year again. There were relatively few provisional ballots that were issued because of people who forgot their IDs. In the August primary we saw only 254 provisional ballots that were due to lack of photo ID out of a statewide total of 6,333 provisional ballots and a total number of 350,699 votes cast. Of those 254, 130 provided photo IDs to the election office before the county canvass and had their ballots count.
Please call (785) 296-4561. This publication may be duplicated for informational purposes only. No written permission is required with the exception of articles or information attributed to a source other than the Kansas
This was the first statewide election in which we had the incomplete list for people who had not yet provided proof of citizenship in the registration process. Again, we saw very few provisional ballots that were caused by lack of proof of citizenship. We continue to work to reduce the number incomplete registrations, but those individuals who are on the list do not seem to be joining the electoral process in large numbers. Looking specifically at the incomplete registrations of applicants who used the federal registration application, there are fewer than 200, and only one of these individuals voted in the primary.
Secretary of State. © 2014 Kansas Secretary of State Memorial Hall 120 SW 10th Ave. Topeka, KS 66612-1594 (785) 296-4564
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All in all, I commend each of you who are on the front line in the county election offices for your great work in administering the primary election.
SOS Launches Mobile App for Voters
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n Wednesday, July 30, just in time for the August 5 primary election, the secretary of state’s office publicly announced the launch of a new mobile app for voters called VoteKansas. The initial version of the app was for iPhone users. Voters with iPhones may find the app on the Apple store by searching “VoteKansas.” Android and Spanish versions of the app will be offered beginning in September. A voter may type in an address and find the offices and candidates that will appear on the voter’s ballot in an upcoming election. The app also shows the address of the polling place and a map with directions to the polling place. No personally identifiable information is required to use the VoteKansas app. VoteKansas was developed in coordination with The Pew Charitable Trusts. Pew’s Voting Information Project (VIP) provides online voter lookup information similar to the VoterView function of the Kansas ELVIS voter registration system. A data feed from VIP provides the information displayed on the VoteKansas app. The Kansas secretary of state’s office also worked with Pew to develop the VIP system several years ago. SOS staff in the Elections Division, IT Department and Publications Office coordinated to design, develop and program the app. The secretary of state’s office also received input on the design and features from Brian Newby of the Johnson County Election Commissioner’s Office and Josh King of the Wyandotte County Election Commissioner’s Office. ■
Home screen of the VoteKansas iPhone app. Illustration by Todd Caywood.
Icon for the VoteKansas iPhone app. Illustration by Todd Caywood.
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New Cheyenne County Clerk Takes Office
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eb Lindsten was sworn in as the new Cheyenne County clerk at the commissioner meeting on April 30, 2014. Deb was appointed by the Governor to replace Terry Miller, who was first elected clerk in 2000. Terry left to move to California to pursue new opportunities (see Canvassing Kansas, March 2014, p. 8). Deb was deputy under Terry Miller for his entire tenure and had previously worked in the county appraiser’s office for one and one half years. In the clerk’s office, Deb maintained the voter file, administered the advance voting process, recruited and managed poll workers and assembled precinct packets. She says the work in the clerk’s office in a small county such as Cheyenne is done by only two people, which keeps both of them very busy and sometimes requires
the commitment of extra time. She said “I have always enjoyed the clerk’s office and the work that county clerks do, including elections. I enjoy the people with whom I work.” Deb has three grown children—a daughter in Olathe and two sons in Manhattan. In her spare time she enjoys her membership in Eastern Star, an organization in which she has served as a state officer. Her work in the organization has allowed her to meet many people across Kansas, including some county clerks. Deb has already administered her first statewide primary election, but we still want to welcome her aboard and wish her the very best in her term as county clerk. ■
Washington County ES&S Voting System Clerk Weds Certified
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enae Dimler, Washington County Clerk, was recently married and now goes by the name Denae Jueneman. Denae and Ron Jueneman were wed on August 8 in Hanover, KS (yes, that was the Friday after the primary election!). The ceremony was small with only family and children present, but the reception was a large one in Kansas City with a live band. Speaking of children, the Juenemans have seven, ranging from fifth to twelfth grade. Most of their time is spent on their jobs and attending their children’s events, leaving little time for hobbies, but when there’s time they enjoy riding motorcycles, four-wheelers and snowmobiles on their farm outside Hanover. Denae also finds time to serve on the Catholic School Board and Ron is on the Fire District Board. We wish Ron and Denae all the best with their new lives and family. ■
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n a letter dated June 11, 2014, Secretary of State Kris Kobach officially certified the Election Systems & Software Unity 3.4.1.0 voting system. Certification followed a demonstration conducted in the secretary of state’s office on May 12. Features of the Unity 3.4.1.0 system were described in a previous article in this newsletter (see Canvassing Kansas, June 2014, page 9). This system still uses the AutoMARK ballot marking device for HAVA- and ADA-compliant voting by persons with disabilities, but also accommodates digital ballot scanners. The next generation of ES&S equipment, called EVS, is in the federal certification process. ■
Newby Reappointed as Johnson County Election Commissioner
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ecretary of State Kris Kobach reappointed Brian Newby to his post as Johnson County election commissioner on August 27, 2014 at the conclusion of the meeting of the state board of canvassers to certify the results of the August 5 primary election. This was Newby’s fourth appointment, and his new term commences September 1, 2014. He was first appointed by Secretary of State Ron Thornburgh on January 11, 2005 to fill the remainder of the third term of Connie Schmidt. Newby was reappointed by Thornburgh on September 1, 2006, then reappointed on September 1, 2010 by Secretary of State Chris Biggs. In making the appointment, Secretary Kobach said, “Brian Newby is an extraordinary election commissioner. He is not only recognized as a superstar by his peers in Kansas, he is also recognized nationally. He has been a source of innovation and improvement in Kansas elections for the past decade.” Newby said, “I’m grateful for the confidence placed in me by Secretary Kobach and for the support our office
received and the relationships we’ve developed with the elections staff. We benefit, and our voters benefit, from having such trusted advisors by our side.” Just recently Newby earned the Minute Man Best Practices of the Year Award from the National Association of Election Officials for iPad, iRegister which uses an iPad to document proof of citizenship and photo identification for newly naturalized citizens registering to vote. The same initiative resulted in his receiving the Making Democracy Work award from the Johnson County, Kansas, League of Women Voters. Last year the National Association of Election Officials bestowed the Guardian Best Practices of the Year Award for the online Election Diary, Newby’s widely-read blog focusing on the day-to-day operation of administering elections. Newby serves on the Election Center Legislative Committee, is a member of the International Association of Clerks, Recorders, and Election Officials and is a former board member of the National Association of County Records, Election Officials, and Clerks. ■
Secretary Kobach swears in Brian Newby as Johnson County Election Commissioner. Photo by Todd Caywood.
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Primary Election Cont’d
Year # Votes Advance Votes % of Total effect until July 1, the prohibition on party switching began 2014 350,699 68,903 19.6 on that date rather than June 1 this year. Proponents of the 2012 398,367 76,910 19.3 legislation billed it as a way to limit primary raiding, the 2010 429,344 90,922 21.2 practice of changing parties to vote in an opposing party’s 2008 371,121 75,384 20.31 primary to nominate weaker candidates. 2006 298,972 51,653 17.3 2004 488,002 62,531 12.8 On election night, counties had options of reporting results 2002 410,630 47,617 11.6 to the SOS office by phone, fax, email or online data entry. 2000 425,568 44,512 10.6 The process went smoothly, with results completed before 1998 439,463 53,429 12.2 1:00 am Wednesday morning, which is a record for recent 1996 532,294 43,860 8.2* years’ elections. *First year of advance voting Counties have a choice under the law to conduct their county canvasses on the Monday or second Thursday The fact that both major parties conduct closed primaries is following the election. After their respective canvasses by new in 2014. Since 2004 parties have been allowed to set the boards of commissioners, county election officers file the policy regarding who may vote in their primaries. This is their official abstracts of votes cast with the SOS office, the result of court decisions stating that the state government where the results are tabulated and double checked in may not dictate who is allowed to vote in party primaries. preparation for the meeting of the state board of canvassers. Parties are private organizations with constitutional rights of The state board, consisting of the Governor, Attorney free association, and they may decide the rules for voting in General and Secretary of State, met on Wednesday, August their primaries. 27 to certify the primary results. ■ Since 2004, the Kansas Republican Party has allowed only registered voters who are affiliated with the party to receive the party’s ballot and vote in the primary. Unaffiliated registered voters were allowed to join the party at the polling place by signing a party affiliation card and vote. From 2004 to 2012, the Democratic Party policy was to allow Democrats and unaffiliated voters to vote the Democratic ballot. Unaffiliated voters were not required to officially affiliate before receiving a ballot. The state party committee in early 2014 revised its policy to require party affiliation before voting. Thus, beginning this year, both parties have adopted closed primary policies. Another feature new to the primary voting process this year resulted from legislation passed to limit voters’ options to change party affiliation before the primary. Voters who are affiliated with parties may not change party affiliations from the candidate filing deadline (June 1) through the time when results of the primary are certified by the state board of canvassers, which occurs on or before September 1 following the primary. Because the new law did not go into 6
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