TOPEKA — The Kansas Legislature’s bipartisan auditing committee voted to issue a subpoena to compel the Ford County clerk to cooperate with the state’s security examination of voting-related documentation and equipment used in the 2022 general election.

House and Senate members participating in the committee meeting Monday took the extraordinary step of immediately relaunching the election security audit investigation that had been stalled long ago by Ford County Clerk Debbie Cox.

The committee directed Cox to comply with audit team information requests helpful in evaluating accuracy of voting machines relied on during the statewide election two years ago. In addition, Cox must provide auditors access by Aug. 14 to storage units, ballots and devices used to count votes in that election.

Rep. Shannon Francis, a Republican from Liberal in southwest Kansas, offered the motion to affirm the post-auditing staff’s authority to investigate Ford County’s election processes. He proposed a separate motion triggering Article 10, Chapter 46 of Kansas statute that outlined how investigating committees could use power of a subpoena to compel individuals to cooperate with audits. Both motions were approved without debate.

“If any person fails to make any books, accounts, contracts or records, files, documents and correspondence, confidential or otherwise, related to such audit available to the post auditor or any officer or employee of the division of post audit upon request … the post auditor shall report such failure immediately in writing to the legislative post audit committee, the governor and the attorney general,” Francis said.

Cox wasn’t at the audit committee’s brief meeting at the Capitol. She was given until 1 p.m. Aug. 14 to transfer requested materials to auditors.

When the Division of Post Audit initiated a 15-county review of election security standards, they discovered Ford and Chase county officials sealed most election documents in the same containers with original paper ballots. The practice of locking away ballot activity documents or equipment transfer records in containers with ballots didn’t comply with the Kansas Open Records Act mandating retention and inspection of certain election-related records.

In addition, Ford County refused to let the Legislature’s auditors inspect the county’s election management computer. That meant auditors couldn’t determine whether the election computer was properly disconnected from the internet or had non-election software installed on it.

Kristen Rottinghaus, deputy of the auditing division, said the legislative committee’s objective was to answer two basic questions about election security in Ford County. They are the same questions directed at the 13 counties featured in the audit report released in mid-2023.

The examination in Ford County would address accuracy and security of voting machines used in the November 2022 election, she said.

“And,” Rottinghaus said, “their policies and procedures for ensuring the security of storage units, ballots and devices used to tabulate votes during that same election.”

In July 2023, the auditing division reported to the Legislature that the 13 cooperating county governments had adequate overall election security practices but none met all 55 best practices or state laws during the 2022 primary or general elections. Auditors concluded most of the 13 counties examined in that audit provided inadequate levels of security for ballots and tabulation machines.

“They’re also missing or have weak practices in several important areas,” the audit report said. “That means security isn’t as good as it could or should be.”

The auditors recommended Secretary of State Scott Schwab provide counties with standardized election forms and policies. In addition, auditors proposed Schwab train county election officers on what election materials could be sealed in ballot containers and kept from public view.

“Secretary of state’s office officials told us county officials often indiscriminately seal election documents with ballots,” the audit said. “But this doesn’t align with the purpose of ballot sealing, which is to maintain an accurate paper record of the election results.”

Auditing of county election security practices in Kansas was driven by Republican state legislators convinced by former President Donald Trump’s false claim President Joe Biden stole the 2020 presidential election in a multi-state conspiracy.

Trump, who carried Kansas in the 2016 and 2020 elections, has continued to perpetuate that myth on the 2024 campaign trail.

In 2018, the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas filed a lawsuit against Cox challenging her decision to move the city’s voting location serving a population of 27,000 people to a facility outside city limits. The suit claimed the change interferred with a fundamental right to vote and disproportionately would impact Hispanic voters.

Cox also forwarded to then-Secretary of State Kris Kobach a letter from ACLU Kansas requesting a voter help line, but wrote on top of the document, “LOL,” meaning to laugh out loud.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — An open congressional seat in eastern Kansas inspired two political comeback attempts in the state’s primary Tuesday, one from the last Democrat to hold it and the other from a former Republican attorney general who lost the 2022 governor’s race.

Three-term former Attorney General Derek Schmidt has former President Donald Trump’s endorsement in a five-candidate GOP contest in the 2nd District. His two most formidable opponents were Shawn Tiffany, a rancher, and Jeff Kahrs, a top regional health official during Trump’s administration.

The Democratic race pits former U.S. Rep. Nancy Boyda, who held the seat in 2007 and 2008, against Matt Kleinmann, a community health advocate and member of the 2008 national champion University of Kansas men’s basketball team. Boyda has positioned herself toward the political center, riling some party activists.

The district’s two-term GOP incumbent Jake LaTurner is not running again.

Republican voters would also be settling contested primaries in two other districts where incumbents are seeking reelection.

In the Kansas City-area 3rd District, physician Prasanth Reddy faces small business owner Karen Crnkovich for the right to challenge three-term U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, the only Democrat in the state’s congressional delegation.

In the 1st District, which includes western Kansas, two-term U.S. Rep. Tracey Mann was expected to prevail over Eric Bloom, a farmer and real estate investor.

There also were contested primaries in some of the 40 state Senate and 125 state House districts, and for offices in Kansas’ 105 counties. Polls remain open across the state from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time.

In the 2nd Congressional District, many Republicans saw Schmidt as the leading candidate even before Trump’s “Complete and Total” social media endorsement, thanks to Schmidt’s name recognition from his narrow loss in 2022 to incumbent Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly.

The former president called Schmidt an “An America First Patriot” and added, “HE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!”

Still, Kahrs has boasted that Trump chose him to be a regional director at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and was a district director and senior adviser for LaTurner. Kahrs’ campaign touted him as a “conservative warrior,” playing on doubts from the hard right that have swirled around Schmidt throughout his two decades in elective politics.

“I’m the only tested conservative in this race,” Kahrs said during a candidate forum broadcast by Topeka-area public television’s KTWU, an event Schmidt skipped.

Tiffany ran as a political outsider, often donning a cowboy hat during public appearances. In a mid-July forum on WIBW-TV in Topeka, he said the “radical left” has attacked the American dream and that “politicians — career politicians — have done nothing to stand in the gap on our behalf.”

In the Democratic race, Boyda supported LGBTQ+ rights generally but said she opposes allowing transgender girls and women to play on female sports teams. She also called on President Joe Biden to end his race for reelection the day after his disastrous debate performance, well before other Democrats.

In a KTWU-TV forum last week, Boyda defended running a center-oriented, “general election” campaign from the start. She pointed to Democrats’ 10 losses in a row since her lone 2006 victory. Eight were by 14 percentage points or more.

“Quite honestly, a lot of the 2nd District is not going to trust a Democrat going to Washington, D.C.,” she said. “They want to make sure that you are moderate and that you are independent.”

But Boyda’s stance on transgender athletes drew immediate criticism, with Kansas Young Democrats calling it “disgraceful” on X.

“I believe that Democrats deserve to have a voice,” Kleinmann, Boyda’s opponent in the primary, said during last week’s forum. “Some of the bravest people I know in Kansas are Democrats in a very red district because they’re fighting for Kansas values, and that’s the values I want to defend in Congress.”

CLAY COUNTY—The Kansas Highway Patrol on Monday identified the man who died in an accident that occurred just before 1:30p.m. Saturday in Clay County.

According to the patrol, a 2023 Chevy Tahoe driven by Hannah Marie Fahey, 25, Clay Center, was northbound on Kansas 15 attempting to turn westbound on Kansas Highway 9.  The driver turned in front of a southbound 2002 Harley Davidson Electra Glide driven by Daniel Eugene Barnhilld, 56, Washington, Kansas.  The motorcycle struck the SUV.

Barnhilld was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Neill-Schwensen-Rook Funeral Home. Fahey was not injured and had one juvenile in the Tahoe.  Barnhilld was not wearing a helmet, according to the KHP.

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CLAY COUNTY —The Kansas Highway Patrol is investigating a fatal crash that occurred just before 1:30p.m. Saturday in Clay County.

A vehicle was southbound on Kansas 15 one mile north of 30th road. The vehicle struck a northbound vehicle that turned in front of the southbound vehicle while making a westbound turn on Kansas 9 Highway.

Both vehicles came to rest on Kansas 15. The KHP released no additional details early Sunday. Check the Post for more information as it becomes available.