Local election offices work to keep you safe during pandemic

KANSAS CITY, MO (KCTV) - Registered voters in Johnson County will be getting a letter in the mail soon. The election office is working to make sure the upcoming August primary is smooth and safe amid the coronavirus pandemic.

If you come out for early voting at the Mission location, not much will be different. You’ll still vote using the touchscreen voting machine. Which will of course be sanitized immediately before and after.

But in addition to the touch screen voting machines, the county is hoping to have paper ballot scanners at each polling location for the August 4 primary.

The county commission will consider a million-dollar purchase of 240 of those machines on Thursday.

It will give people the option to not have to touch a screen and instead only touch their paper ballot.

The county is also sending mail in ballot applications to every single registered voter.

“We are planning and anticipating that we will have a larger amount by mail. That requires reengineering or internal operations. We’re also anticipating more people requesting a paper ballot if they go to vote in person early or on election day,” Connie Schmidt with Johnson County Elections said.

Johnson County did have to change a few polling locations that were located at senior facilities or care centers.

About 30% of poll workers who are in the, “at risk” category for the coronavirus will not be able to work this election, but the county expects to have enough help.

If you’re a registered voter in Jackson County, chances are your polling location has changed. The election board made a lot of changes for the upcoming municipal election in June.

That election was supposed to happen in April but was post-poned due to the pandemic.

Jackson County is preparing 43 polling locations. That’s less than half of their usual 131. They couldn’t use places like senior care centers, and a lot of churches backed out due to the coroanvirus pandemic.

The elections office will start mailing out letters Wednesday to inform you of your new polling location.

And instead of an “I voted” sticker, you’ll get a pen to take home.

The county purchased them so that no voter has to touch anything. The pens have a stylus on one end to sign the iPad when you go to vote and only you will use that pen to complete your paper ballot.

Bags of disinfecting equipment, and personal protective gear are prepared for the workers at each location.

Jackson County Election Board Director Tammy Brown says condensing the polling locations, finding new locations, and getting enough protective equipment for poll workers was a huge challenge.

“The other challenge is going to be at some of our bigger polls is making sure the judges are keeping them spaced apart. We’re praying for a sunny day so if you’re not, but he does have to wait outside, it’s not pouring down rain. That and just making sure everything is disinfected,” Brown said.

The county is also seeing an uptick in applications for absentee ballots. The deadline to apply for one is Wednesday at 5 p.m.

A bill on the governor’s desk right now could expand who qualifies for mail in voting across the state.