By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
Laura Allen, 47, of Hays has announced she intends to run as a write-in candidate for Ellis County Clerk as a Democrat.
There are no other Democratic candidates in the primary. The only Republican candidate is Deputy Clerk Bobbi Dreiling.
Allen is a client services representative at First Call for Help, a Hays non-profit. She has a bachelor's degree in business administration from Fort Hays State University.
"After doing a little bit of research into the different offices and trying to educate myself on what we are voting for, I just decided that it is time for change," Allen said. "People need some choices."
"I really think we need to do a better job with our elections and our voting," she said.
Allen said she thought the clerk's office should not be politicized.
"I don't see there is any reason why the clerk's office can't work timely and efficiently with other offices," she said.
County Treasurer Lisa Schlegel has been publicly critical of current County Clerk Donna Maskus for being late in getting tax information to the treasurer's office. Maskus has repeated told Schlegel she has had to wait on tax information from multiple outside taxing bodies to compile the data.
"No. 1, I would want to talk to them, because I don't want to say anyone is doing anything wrong specifically without knowing the ins and outs of the situation," Allen said. "But I assume all of the offices have the same deadlines and have to work together."
"I can't imagine there is not a way to work with those offices to get what we need when we need it without placing undue burden on them."
Allen said she would also like to see the clerk's office promote voter registration. She said she very rarely sees voter registrations set up at different events. She said she has also been disappointed in local voter turnout.
"There's got to be a way we can engage our citizens better to exercise their right to be part of their local government," she said. "I know everyone worries about the presidential elections, but on the local level, that is where we can really affect change."
Allen said she thought she would be a good county clerk because she is good at meeting deadlines and following rules and regulations.
She has run area retail stores and is familiar with accounting, she said.
"I think No.1 I have a desire to represent the people of Ellis County and make sure their interests are met," she said. "No. 2 [I have] the ability to follow the rules and regulations and read statutes and find answers and make sure everyone has access to the information they should."
Allen said she can see the office with a new eye.
"I know a lot of our county offices can do better, and change is a great catalyst to do that," she said.
The Hays Post asked Allen why she did not file for office by the filing deadline so her name could be on the primary ballot.
"I did not want to do it frivolously and I have been looking up various clerk duties and statues and actually talked to a couple of different clerks throughout the state to just get an idea of what the job entails and if it would be something I would be able to do effectively," she said.
"By the time I was able to say comfortably, 'Yes, this is something I am willing to do,' I had missed the deadline."
Outside of her work, Allen is the secretary for the state board of directors of Kansas Legal Services. This is her sixth year on the board. She is also a volunteer at her foster daughter's school. She is also active with the Democratic Party.
"I just want people to know that Ellis County deserves a choice in who they are electing to different offices," she said.
Below is a press release Allen released Thursday on her candidacy.
. . .
Allen Announces Write-In Candidacy For Ellis County Clerk
Laura Allen, 47, of Hays, announced today that at the urging of family and friends she has decided to run as a write-in candidate for election to the County Clerk’s position in Ellis County.
“The County Clerk is first and foremost the chief election officer of the County and I intend to make it my primary goal to remove existing barriers to voting in Ellis County," Allen said. " Every citizen should vote. We must come together to help make the most important decisions in our lives here and it starts at the ballot box."
“I have watched as Ellis County has struggled with handling elections, being the last County in the State to report its results, purging thousands of voters because of wrong addresses or other things which a Clerk should never allow to happen. I watched the last election as it was revealed that the machines being used in Ellis County were defective and not reliably reporting the true results of elections. The response of the County Clerk was to spend $350,000 on yet more machines. Those were unnecessary. Ellis County is a relatively small county and for decades we conducted our elections by casting votes on paper ballots which were then quickly counted by local volunteers. If there were any discrepancies, they were easily fixed. Now, we have another entirely new system that is inappropriate for our times.”
Allen said that if elected, she would conduct an intensive audit of use of personnel and equipment to find ways to stretch the taxpayer money to accomplish all required duties while increasing voter participation in Ellis County.
“We have some of the most engaged and enthused citizens in the State of Kansas here in Ellis County, yet we throw obstacles in front of them when it comes election time. We should be sending mobile registrars to the nursing homes, schools, City and School offices, grocery stores, and we should have people trained to use mobile registration from cell phones at every public event.
I want to make it part of the culture of the County that we register, we educate, we vote, in Ellis County,” Allen said.
Laura Allen is a fifth generation Ellis Countian. Her father, Stan Allen, was a long-time law enforcement officer, her grandmother worked at Al’s Chickenette and Laura learned the value of hard work from their examples. She is a TMP and FHSU graduate and works for a local non-profit agency. She is also the acting Secretary for the State Board of Directors of Kansas Legal Service and attends St. Joseph’s Catholic Church. Her children have also grown up in Ellis County. Joshua coaches football at TMP and is a Salesman. Sam works at DSNWK as he prepares to join the Capuchin Order next year, and her daughter, Gilda, a Sophomore at Hays High School, plans to become a Police Dispatcher. Her family has also recently welcomed a foster daughter, Cat. “I know the importance of family and good neighbors and I know that participation in civic matters is not just a privilege, it is a duty. I pledge to serve Ellis County in a nonpartisan manner. My goal is 100 percent participation, regardless of political affiliation.”
The County Clerk also serves as the government conduit for public records and information and Allen has made it clear that she will do everything necessary to bring her office into the 21st century by making as many records available online as possible. “People should not have to beg office holders for the evidence of government spending and taxing,” Allen said. “I will make it so that any citizen can access the minutes of meetings, voter registration information, tax parcels, boundary lines of governmental units, personnel contact information, apply for passports, and other similar things, from their cell phones. No more will people need to worry about whether the office is open over the lunch hour or past 4 o’clock; we will be accessible, 24/7."
Because no one filed for County Clerk on the Democratic ticket, Laura Allen is asking that her name be written in by all people who cast a Democratic ballot. If four percent of the voters write her name in for County Clerk, she will then be placed on the General Election Ballot.
Election Day is coming up and the Advance Voting starts next week, so Allen intends to send post cards to all eligible voters asking them to vote for her.
“To make government function the way it should, it is important that this office stop being passed on from County employee to County employee. I am not part of the “good ol’ girl network” I want to break that cycle and bring a little sunshine to the office of Ellis County Clerk,” Allen said.
“I appreciate the support many have already given me and look forward to a good result in the Primary Election so I can reciprocate that support by the citizens,” she said.