I never expected waiting at 7:30 p.m. for advance ballots at the Iola Courthouse to be one of the most intriguing experiences I have participated in as an intern for the Iola Register.
I really didn’t know what to expect. I had never been into the courthouse, except for my driver’s test, so I was unaware where or how they counted and processed ballots.
County Clerk Sherrie Riebel was very kind. While waiting for ballots to arrive, she took the time to explain to me how each ballot was counted, sorted and stored after the election. Advance ballots are categorized by the day that they are submitted: e.g. Monday’s ballots, Tuesday’s ballots, Wednesday’s ballots, etc.
Tuesday evening, poll workers wheeled in a cart carrying boxes that held all of the ballots. I was enthralled to see democracy in action; to witness the essence of an election. Instead of just listening and reading the news, it was an amazing experience to see tangible evidence of how everyone comes together to vote and let their voices be heard.
I saw the machine that counted the ballots and watched as the county clerk’s staff fed ballots through it; the room was blocked off with a table, but you could peek around the corner.
It was interesting to see the different voting patterns as results came in; some of the disparities in votes surprised me. Kansas is overwhelmingly Republican, so I was surprised to see the support that some of the Democrats had in state and federal elections.
Riebel explained the long, tedious process required after the results came in and the votes were finalized. Electronic ballot results are put on a thumbdrive, and taken to multiple different locations, all of which are not connected to the internet to ensure the security of the votes.
The final step is for county commissioners to canvass the votes, which involves looking at each of the provisional ballots to determine if they should be counted. There is a 12 day period in which a recount can be called, the commissioners will then certify the candidates.
As for state elections, the results are submitted to the Kansas Secretary of State.
I was enthralled to see democracy in action; to witness the essence of an election.
Instead of just listening and reading the news, it was an amazing experience to see tangible evidence of how everyone comes together to vote and let their voices be heard.
Even though in these times we haven’t had many opportunities to come together, it was nice to see that, if only just for one day.
Our country may be divided in opinion, but we all joined together to vote. A fervent need to participate seems to have washed over everyone this election. I’m glad everyone got out and exercised their rights.
