BY JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT
Hays Post
When Ellis County voters head to the polls in November, they will be casting their ballots on brand-new election equipment.
In April, the Ellis County Commission approved the purchase of new voting equipment from Election Systems & Software of Omaha, Neb.
Voters will see significant change with the new equipment, with the return of paper ballots. Everything was done electronically through the previous touchscreen machines.
Ellis County Clerk and Election Officer Donna Maskus said voters will still have to present their ID to the poll worker and sign the electronic poll pad but, once that voter is identified, they will get a paper ballot specific to them.
“Then that voter can sit down at a table that will have privacy sleeves,” Maskus said. “There will be more opportunities for voters to sit down and vote.”
Once the voter has finished voting, they will then feed their ballot into a ballot scanner.
“It can be upside down, it can be backside, it can be front side, it’s going to tabulate it,” Maskus said. “The voter will be able to see that the count is increased by one so that ballot has gone through and tabulated.”
The new machines allow the county to comply with Kansas law requiring every county to complete an election audit. Maskus said a three-member board will verify votes in competitive race selected by the Secretary of State.
Maskus said Trego, Barton and Sedgwick counties all have similar equipment and have had good experiences.
“There election equipment is certified, and it has to be approved by the secretary of state’s office through testing before we even look at that equipment,” Maskus said. “We’re real pleased. We’re real excited.”
For those voters who have ADA requirements, Maskus said a machine is available. That machine also produces a paper ballot that is run through the ballot scanner.
With the Nov. 5 Election Day now less than a month away, the deadline to get registered is quickly approaching — Tuesday, Oct. 15.
“The only time that you need to re-register is if you move or change your name,” Maskus said.
If you are not sure if you are registered, you can check at voteks.org.
The website, administered by the Secretary of State’s Office, allows voters to find their registration information, polling place, past voter history and a sample ballot.
Advanced voting in Ellis County begins on Monday, Oct. 21, at the Ellis County Administrative Center at 718 Main.
“We start at 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily, up until the day before the election, on Nov. 4 at noon,” Maskus said.
She also reminded voters to bring a valid ID to the polls.
“Before you vote at any time, you have to show that voter ID,” Maskus said. “Most people just use their driver’s license.”
Voters can also request an advance ballot through the county election office up until Tuesday, Oct. 29. Those ballots can be returned to any polling site on Election Day, the administrative center or through the mail.
Ballots returned through the mail must be postmarked by Election Day.
A list of candidates, poll site locations and general election information for the upcoming election can also be found on the County Election website at ellisco.net.
The election office can also be reached at (785) 628-9410.
