Reno County elections office readies for November: more drop boxes, staffing and a precinct move

Donna Patton, Reno County clerk, reported on preparations for the November general election, saying the office mailed 5,512 ballots in August and hired extra staff to process the returns. "We mailed out 5,512 ballots in August, and, it we had to hire extra staff to bring them in so we could open them and get them through our machines," Patton said.

Patton and deputy election officer Jenna Fager said the county will receive two additional certified drop boxes from the secretary of state and is working with county staff and a number of municipalities to find secure locations that meet anchor/mounting and camera-security needs. The clerks said the new boxes will likely be installed in October and stressed the need to choose sites where county staff can collect ballots several times daily for security.

The clerks also announced that Prairie Hills (Precinct 27) will no longer be available as a polling site and that voters in that precinct will vote at the fairgrounds for the November election. The office advised voters to mail ballots at least one week in advance to account for postal routing; Patton said the state law restricts mailing ballots until Oct. 14, so the office will encourage earlier mailing once ballots are distributed.

Staff raised operational concerns about poll workers wearing masks for long shifts and said they are balancing safety with the need to maintain adequate staffing. The commission offered assistance to identify secure drop-box locations.

What happens next: the clerks will finalize drop-box placement and communicate locations to voters, confirm additional staffing plans for polling sites and return to the commission with any resource requests.