By Trish Svoboda

On February 14th, Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab announced that 84 counties in Kansas are being awarded grants to aid in enhancing the physical security of county election offices. The grants, provided by the Secretary of State’s office, amount to around $1.9 million.

“Providing grant dollars for physical security upgrades is instrumental in safeguarding county election equipment,” Schwab said. “Increased security also strengthens public trust in the electoral process.”

As part of the Help America Vote Act funding provided by Congress, the grant funds aim to help states enhance the administration of elections, which includes technology and improving election security.

The Secretary of State’s office requires counties that receive the grants to submit a grant application and provide a 10% match. Counties will be reimbursed for expenses for physical election security items.

Some of the most requested items were:

• Security cameras and monitoring systems.

• Access control, such as upgrades to locks and doors.

• Hardware storage and transportation, including locking cabinets, rolling carts, and cages for storage of election equipment.