(Okoboji)– Secretary of State Chet Culver today brought the Iowa State Association of County Auditors up to date on election reform.
Speaking at the association’s annual meeting at the Inn in Okoboji, Culver said a three-pronged approach is being taken consisting of technology, training and education of election officials, and educating voters.
Culver said it’s also crucial counties abide by a Supreme Court ruling pertaining to equal protection…meaning every precinct must treat votes the same. That means adopting a uniform system. He prefers one that tallies votes at precincts instead of central locations such as Auditor offices. That way, Culver says voters would have a second chance to cast a correct ballot. Spoiled ballots would be spit out.
Culver also today said his office has established a bi-partisan task force to determine what actually constitutes a vote. A proposal is being put together for the legislature to consider in the upcoming session.
Culver also said his office will coordinate training programs for electors and poll workers. He’s confident congress will make somewhere between 500-million and two and-a-half billion dollars available to states for election reform. The amount would be based on a state’s turnout in the last general election.
