Secretary Schwab Announces $1.9 Million in Grants to Strengthen Kansas County Election Security

Tuesday, February 13, 2024

TOPEKA – Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab announced 84 Kansas counties are being awarded approximately $1.9 million in grants provided by the Secretary of State’s office to help improve the physical security of county election offices.

“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.”

The grant funds are part of the Help America Vote Act funding provided by Congress to help states improve the administration of elections, including to enhance technology and make certain election security improvements.

Counties receiving the grants were required to submit a grant application to the Secretary of State’s office and provide a 10% match. The Secretary of State’s Office will reimburse counties for approved expenditures 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.

The 84 counties are: Allen, Anderson, Atchison, Barber, Barton, Bourbon, Brown, Butler, Chase, Chautauqua, Cherokee, Cheyenne, Clark, Clay, Cloud, Cowley, Crawford, Dickinson, Doniphan, Elk, Ellis, Ellsworth, Finney, Ford, Franklin, Geary, Gove, Graham, Grant, Greenwood, Hamilton, Harvey, Haskell, Hodgeman, Jackson, Jefferson, Jewell, Johnson, Kearny, Kingman, Kiowa, Labette, Lane, Leavenworth, Lincoln, Lyon, Marion, McPherson, Meade, Miami, Mitchell, Morris, Morton, Nemaha, Neosho, Ness, Norton, Osborne, Ottawa, Pawnee, Pottawatomie, Pratt, Rawlins, Reno Republic, Riley, Russell, Saline, Scott, Sedgwick, Seward, Shawnee, Sheridan, Smith, Stafford, Stanton, Sumner, Thomas, Trego, Wabaunsee, Wallace, Washington, Wichita, and Wyandotte.

For more information about elections in Kansas, please visit VoteKansas.gov.

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