County officials say drop boxes are safe and secure way to vote

County officials say drop boxes are safe and secure way to vote

AMERICAN LIFE THISYEAR...INCLUDING HOW WEVOTE.THIS PAST MAY,ELECTION OFFICIALSANNOUNCED RECORDVOTE BY MAILPARTICIPATION ...LEADING TO THE BESTTURNOUT IN MORE THAN25 YEARS.DUE TO POST OFFICECONCERNS, ELECTIONOFFICIALS ARE TELLINGVOTERS THAT DROPBOXES MIGHT BE THEBEST OPTION FORNOVEMBER.REPORTER JON KIPPERTELLS US WHY.THE ELECTIONCOMMISSIONERS OFTHE METRO'S TWOBIGGEST COUNTIESHAVE SAID THEY EXPECTA RECORD NUMBER OFRESIDENTS TO RECEIVEA BALLOT IN THE MAILTHIS FALL.WHILE MANY WILL MAILTHEIR BALLOT BACK...SOME CONCERNEDWITH POTENTIAL POSTOFFICE DELAYS WILL BEUSING DROP BOXESINSTEAD."VOTERS CAN JUSTDRIVE UP THEIR OPEN24/7."KESSLERBUT SOME HAVE RAISEDSECURITY CONCERNSABOUT DROP BOXES...MOST NOTABLY THEPRESIDENT OF THEUNITED STATES.OVER THE PAST WEEKPRESIDENT DONALDTRUMP HASQUESTIONED WHO ISGOING TO COLLECT THEBALLOTS AND WHERETHEY ARE GOING TO BEPLACED.TWEET GRAPHICS"DOUGLAS COUNTYELECTION OFFICIALSSAY USING THESE DROPBOXES THAT ARESPREAD AROUND THECOUNTY ARE A VERYSAFE TO VOTE.THE REASON BEING,BEGINNING IN LATESEPTEMBER, ONCEBALLOTS START TO GETMAILED OUT, EVERYWEEKDAY AN EMPLOYEEWILL HEAD TO ALL THEDROP BOXES AND GRABTHE BALLOTS AND TAKETHEM DIRECTLY TO THEELECTION COMMISSIONOFFICE."JON LL BRIDGE" IT'S OUR STAFF THATPICKS THEM UP, THENTHERE'S NO MIDDLEPERSON, IT COMESDIRECTLY TO US,THERE'S NO INBETWEEN."JUSTINE KESSLER,ELECTIONS MANAGER,DOUGLAS COUNTY.SARPY COUNTY HASBEEN USING DROPBOXES SINCE 2010.ELECTIONSCOMMISSIONERMICHELLE ANDAHL SAYSTHEY VET AND HIRE ABI-PARTISAN TEAM TOCHECK THE DOUBLELOCKED STEEL DOORS,DAILY.SHE SAYS IT'S AS SAFEAS VOTING IN PERSON."EVERYTHING ISCHECKED INSIDE TOMAKE SURE THE LOCKSHAVE NOT BEENTAMPERED WITH, THETEAM PUTS THEM IN ABAG WITH ZIPLOCK WITHA SAFETY SEAL ANDTHEN BRINGS THEMBACK TO OUR OFFICEAND THEY'RE NOTOPENED UNTIL THEY'RERETURNED TO US,"MICHELLE ANDAHL,ELECTION COMMISSIONER,SARPY COUNTYTO ENSURE ELECTIONSECURITY, DOUGLASCOUNTY ANNOUNCEDMONDAY THEY'RE EVENBUYING NEW DROPBOXES FOR THENOVEMBER ELECTION.'THEY'RE SHOWINGSOME AGE, THEY'REALSO SHOWING SOMERUST, AND THESE AREJUST LARGER MORESECURE MODELS,THEY'RE STAINLESSSTEEL AND WETHOUGHT NOW WOULDBE THE TIME TO GOAHEAD AND REPLACETHEM." IN OMAHA JONKIPPER 3NNCURRENTLY DOUGLASCOUNTY HAS NINE DROPBOXES AND SARPYCOUNTY HAS FOUROFFICIALS FOR BOTHCOUNTIES SAY THEYPLAN TO EXPAND THENUMBER BEFOREVOTING BEGINS.PRESIDENT TRUMP I