The following are some election-related I Wonder questions we’ve received recently, with answers from the local election master himself, Riley County Clerk Rich Vargo. And, because you can’t have too much information when democracy is at stake, we’ve also included some previously published I Wonder questions in case you missed them the first time.
Q: What is the process by which county election officials verify that signatures on mailed or otherwise delivered ballots are legitimate and not forged? Does the county employ the services of a recognized graphologist to ensure the integrity of those ballots?
A: A certified graphologist? What is this, “CSI: Manhattan”?
Well apparently it is, because Riley County has hired such an expert to train employees.
When you vote in person, you give the election worker your ID to verify your identity. When you vote by mail, they check your signature to verify identity. Vargo said all mail ballot signatures are checked against the registered voters’ original signatures on their voter registration. In 2016 Riley County hired Wendy Carlson, a handwriting expert and forensic documentation examiner, to come to Riley County to train staff on signature verification. Officials hired her again this year to conduct a training via Zoom.
“Both in 2016 and 2020, Riley County invited all other Kansas counties to attend the training and many did,” he said.
According to state law, if the signatures do not match, the signature may be challenged, and the county election office is supposed to contact the voter to verify the signature.
Q: Is it possible to change your vote in Kansas after you’ve submitted your ballot?
A: This question popped up because of a tweet earlier this week by President Donald Trump: “Strongly Trending (Google) since immediately after the second debate is CAN I CHANGE MY VOTE? This refers to changing it to me. The answer in most states is YES. Go do it. Most important Election of your life!”
For one thing, the answer for most people is actually no.
“No, it is not possible to change your vote after your ballot has been cast,” Vargo said. “But, if while in the voting process, prior to casting your ballot, you can ‘spoil’ a ballot and ask the election worker for another ballot. Then cast the ballot once completed.”
So if you’ve got a mail-in ballot that you’ve already marked but haven’t submitted, you can essentially ask for a new ballot. If you’ve already voted in person, you’re out of luck.
Q: I wonder how the order of candidates on the ballot is determined? Some have the Republican first and some have the Democrat name first. (They are NOT in alphabetical order). Is it determined by who filed first?
A: The order of candidates for national offices is determined by the Secretary of State’s Office, Vargo said. State and county offices are determined by the county.
In Riley County, the order in which candidates are listed varies by precinct. The clerk’s office arranges it so that each candidate is listed first on a roughly equal number of ballots.
“We take the number of registered voters within the district and divide the number by the number of candidates,” Vargo said. “If there is only one reporting precinct, the (order) is done alphabetically. All processes are set out in state statutes. It is not done by who files first.”
Q: In the state of Kansas, ballots cannot be tabulated until Election Day. Can voter signatures of mail-in ballots be verified prior to Election Day?
A: Yes, signatures are verified prior to Election Day, Vargo said.
The following are excerpts of previously published questions answered by other reporters.
Q: When I tried to drop off mail at the USPS mail box in Westloop Plaza on recently, it was so full someone could’ve easily reached in and taken out mail. I visited again after the mail box’s stated pickup time and it was even fuller. With the controversy about mail-in ballots and the election just a couple weeks away, how safe are our ballots?
A: Mail-in ballots have indeed been in the spotlight lately as some people, including President Donald Trump, have questioned their security. Some also have reported mail delays across the country amid new policy changes at the United States Postal Service, and both issues have been exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic as people have been utilizing those services more to avoid close physical contact with others.
However, numerous studies and reviews have said there is no indication of widespread wrongdoing or tampering with elections. In this particular case, local officials said this overstuffed mailbox was more of an isolated incident rather than an ongoing issue.
The local USPS office and the Riley County Clerk’s Office, which oversees the election process, were both notified of the situation not long after it was noticed.
“USPS staff told us many times people put items (that are) too large in the boxes to go all the way down, which makes them appear full, and USPS went out to fix the problem,” said Riley County Clerk Rich Vargo.
This was the first instance Vargo had heard of the issue, and he said USPS was “very responsive” in correcting the problem.
Q: President Trump is urging his followers to go to voting places and be poll watchers to see that no corruption is going on. As I understand it, poll watchers have a particular function and not everyone can go to a polling place and fulfill this function. How are poll watchers appointed/certified?
A: You’re right. You can’t just walk in a polling place and make yourself a poll watcher.
There are basically two ways of becoming a poll watcher; some people automatically become one because of their position while others can apply.
People automatically become poll agents depending on the position a person holds, according to state law, such as a state or county party chair.
A poll watcher, also called a poll agent, is an authorized person who is allowed to observe election proceedings, according to state law.
People who are interested can apply to become a poll watcher or agent, said Rich Vargo, county clerk. People must apply to the Office of the Kansas Secretary of State.
Once appointed, poll watchers, who must at least be 14, must carry the form with them to the polling place. Poll agents also wear badges for identification, Vargo said. Vargo said agents or watchers can only observe.
“Interference with the election process is prohibited by law,” Vargo told The Mercury.
Q: Craig Bowser, who’s running for Kansas Senate District 22, just rents an apartment in Manhattan. Does that count as living in a district, and why is he running here?
A: According to the Kansas Secretary of State office, any legislator or candidate up for election to the Legislature must be a qualified elector and reside in their district.
The Bowsers tend a farm near Holton, which their family has owned since the ’40s, and they rent an apartment in west Manhattan. According to the office, that would still satisfy the requirements.
Bowser said he lives and works every day in Manhattan and travels to the farm as necessary. If elected, he plans to keep both places.
“I took over the leadership role of a small business based in Manhattan over a year ago and have resided here ever since,” Bowser, a Republican, told The Mercury. Bowser is the CEO of SAVE Farm, an organization that aims to help members of the military transition to the agribusiness field.
“I am very proud of the fact that our business employs people here in Manhattan and we contribute to the local economy,” he said. “I’m also very proud of the fact that our organization provides training and job opportunities for military veterans and others who are interested in agriculture careers.”
Bowser said he still farms the ground in Holton himself, and his son attends Holton High School because he and his wife didn’t want their son to have to switch schools in the middle of a pandemic. Bowser added that his son plans to go to K-State after graduation.
You can submit a question to this column by e-mail to questions@themercury.com, or by regular mail to Questions, P.O. Box 787, Manhattan, KS 66505.
