SECRETARY SCOTT SCHWAB ANNOUNCES HIS 2022 LEGISLATIVE AGENDA, HIGHLIGHTING ELECTION AUDIT ENHANCEMENT
Monday, January 3, 2022
TOPEKA – Today, Secretary Schwab announced his 2022 legislative agenda, focusing on strengthening Kansas election laws to enhance election integrity and security. The Secretary of State’s legislative agenda includes:
Enhancing Election Audits — Secretary Schwab is proposing enhancements to Kansas’ post-election audit laws. “Conducting post-election audits for presidential, federal, statewide and local races were a top priority for my administration. Since taking office in 2019, for the first time in Kansas history post-election audits were completed, resulting in over 300 successful county audits. Securing our elections through enhanced audits will not only bolster the integrity of our elections now, but for generations to come,” said Secretary Schwab.
Voter Roll Maintenance — County election officers must wait two federal election cycles following a confirmation notice to remove inactive voters from the voter list. Many inactive registered voters are those who move and don’t update the system. “It is vital to have our state’s voter registration list accurate and updated. Without continuous maintenance, the Kansas electoral system can become vulnerable for fraud and duplicate voting. I am glad to see a bill will be introduced in the Kansas Legislature to address this problem and look forward to working with legislative members to enhance the state’s voter roll maintenance efforts,” said Secretary Schwab.
Securing Election Equipment — In Kansas, counties have not connected voting machines to the internet since 2006, however, this practice is not in statute. To further enhance election security, Secretary Schwab is proposing legislation to prohibit Kansas voting machines from being connected to the internet. Secretary Schwab is also introducing legislation to enhance security of electronic pollbooks. This legislation would require all electronic pollbooks to be certified with the Secretary of State’s Office and meet specific security measures to protect voter data. “By securing voting equipment, enhancing election audits and voter roll maintenance, Kansans can have confidence that these simple changes will enhance security without causing voter confusion,” said Secretary Schwab.
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