DiscoverThe Rundown with Kansas Legislative Division of Post AuditReviewing Kansas's Procedures for Election Security, Part 2 [July 2023]
Reviewing Kansas's Procedures for Election Security, Part 2 [July 2023]

Reviewing Kansas's Procedures for Election Security, Part 2 [July 2023]

Update: 2023-07-06
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Description

This audit reviewed a selection of county election offices' policies and practices to ensure the accuracy and security of voting machines, ballots, storage units, and tabulators.

State law gives county election officials discretion over how to run elections in their counties, so election processes vary across counties. We identified and reviewed election security best practices from the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, the federal election agency. They fall into 5 general security categories: overall process, election management computer, ballot, voting and tabulation, and transfer and movement security. Kansas only has a few high-level election security-related laws and regulations related to these 5 best practice categories.

We reviewed whether 13 counties had policies and practices that aligned with 55 best practices and state laws during the 2022 primary or general elections. These counties generally had adequate overall process and election management computer security practices. Ballot security practices were weaker overall, but county results varied. Most of the 13 counties we reviewed had inadequate voting and tabulation machine security practices except for physical security practices. And the 13 counties we reviewed had some adeqate transfer and movement security practices, but others that were generally inadequate. Overall, larger counties generally had stronger security practices than smaller counties because of their greater security needs and resources. But these results don't necessarily mean elections aren't secure.

Finally, none of the counties we reviewed had adequate written election security policies or guidance.

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Reviewing Kansas's Procedures for Election Security, Part 2 [July 2023]

Reviewing Kansas's Procedures for Election Security, Part 2 [July 2023]

Legislative Post Audit