Johnson County election officials explain ballot-box safety measures

They all have a security camerafocused in on themKEEPING YOUR VOTESAFE....AS BALLOT BOXESOPEN.ADVANCED VOTINGSTARTS TOMORROW INJOHNSON COUNTY --BUT PEOPLE AREALREADY DROPPING OFFTHEIR BALLOTS.KANSAS LEADERS AREDEALING WITH AN INFLUXOF MAIL-IN BALLOTS.THEY'VE ALREADY SENTOUT MORE THAN TRIPLETHE NUMBER OF BALLOTSTHIS YEAR COMPARED TOTHE LAST PRESIDENTIALELECTION IN 20-16.TAKE A LOOK.SO FAR, THE STATE HASMAILED OUT MORE THAN470-THOUSAND BALLOTS....COMPARED TO 148-THOUSAND IN 2016.ALSO THIS YEAR....VOTERS HAVE RETURNEDMORE THAN 33-HUNDREDBALLOTS...AND NEARLY 7-THOUSANDPEOPLE HAVE ALREADYCAST THEIR BALLOTS INPERSON.THE EARLY VOTING SURGEFORCED JOHNSONCOUNTY TO OPEN ITSDROP-OFF BALLOT BOXESONE DAY EARLY....AFTER DOZENS OFPEOPLE SHOWED UPTODAY WITH THEIRBALLOTS -- ONLY TO FINDTHE BOXES LOCKED.THOSE BOXES ARESPREAD ACROSS JOHNSONCOUNTY....BUT SOME VOTERS AREWORRIED ABOUTSECURITY -- ONCE THEYDROP THEIR VOTE INSIDE.41 ACTION NEWSREPORTER ARIELROTHFIELD SHOWS US THESTEPS LEADERS ARETAKING -- TO PROTECTYOUR BALLOT.After sorting applications andpreparing, the ballots havebeen sentNow it's up to voters to fillthem out and get their ballotsback to the Election OfficeIn Johnson County, electionofficials are trying to make iteasyBy installing these drop boxesConnie Schmidt/ Johnson CountyElection CommissionerWe have teams that will bemonitoring those drop boxesin bringing those voted ballotsbackJohnson County is using grantmoney for the eight ballot dropboxes,Which have been placed atlibraries throughout the countyAND in front of the electionofficeThe ideaConnie Schmidt/ Johnson CountyElection CommissionerThose don't have to travel tous by mailInstead a bipartisan team- onerepublican and one democratWill pick-up the ballotsthroughout the day and bringthem right to the ElectionOffice in a sealed transfer bagAriel Rothfield/ 41 Action NewsUntil that happens wewanted to know how secureyour ballot is when they're inthis box.Connie Schmidt/ Johnson CountyElection CommissionerIt takes two different keys toopen up the box to actuallyretrieve the envelopes out.Security cameras arerecording each box,Which has been bolstered tothe cement by the insideThe same safety precautionsare in place in WyandotteCountyFor the two drop boxeslocated outside of the ElectionOffice on State AvenueBruce Newby/ Wyandotte CountyElection CommissionerEach one of those ballotboxes will hold 1,500 ballotsThey were provided by theSecretary of State's OfficeBut commissioner BruceNewby tells 41 Action Newsmore are on the wayBruce Newby/ Wyandotte CountyElection CommissionerThey will be checked firstthing in the morning and closeof business at the end of theday.

And we'll do it more oftendepending on the volume ofmail being depositedThe locations of the otherboxes are to be determinedUntil then both Newby andSchmidt are encouragingvoters to fill out theirballots,sign the envelopes and dropthem offReporting in Wyandotte andJohnson counties.

ArielRoth