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County officials flag ballot-stamping and oath procedures after constitutional election
Summary
Party chairs and elections staff raised procedural concerns after the constitutional election: whether early-voting ballots must bear a head-clerk stamp or initials, how judges should be sworn under a form updated in Sept. 2023, and reports that the Secretary of State website directed some voters to the wrong polling places.
At the Johnson County Elections Commission workshop on Dec. 11, Republican party chair Robin Wilson pressed the elections office on a training change she said requires ballots to be stamped with the head clerk's initials during early voting. Wilson warned, "A ballot is not considered a full an actual true ballot until it is stamped. If it's not stamped and it's counted, we're in trouble." She said stamps ordered with one administrator's initials would need replacement if an early-voting head clerk changes.
Joy Adams said she would "get with the state to confirm" the specific requirement and asked the commission to let the elections office confirm training language and stamp rules. April Long suggested stamps are a minor expense and the county could find funds to ensure compliance if stamps are required at each early-voting location.
Robin Wilson also summarized a form and process put in place after 2017 law changes that requires election judges, alternate judges and early-voting clerks to complete a "statement of officer" and take the constitutional oath prior to serving. Wilson said the form she used was updated in September 2023 and listed authorized officials who may administer oaths, including judges of a court of record, notaries public and city secretaries.
Separately, party representatives reported voters being directed to the wrong election-day polling places via the Secretary of State website on election day; Adams said the county uploads site data to the state and asked voters experiencing problems to report them to the office so staff can investigate and, where appropriate, correct data with the state.
The commission recorded no formal action on these procedural items during the workshop and asked Adams to follow up with the Secretary of State and to report back on any clarifications needed for training or supplies.
