By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
Republican Bobbi Dreiling is running for her second term as Ellis County Clerk.
Dreiling worked eight years for Donna Maskus, the previous county clerk, serving as deputy clerk.
"From day one, I was learning everything that she knew, and in the last two or three years of her last term, I was doing a lot of the duties, which would have been doing the July and November abstract, which is setting values and doing the mill levy and the revenue neutral rate. I did those all by myself," Dreiling said.
Dreiling, 61, is from Hays. She has an associate's degree from Hutchinson Community College.
"I came in with a lot of people skills because each of my jobs required me to work with a lot of people," she said.
She said she is running for county clerk to serve every constituent in Ellis County.
"I felt that at that time, I ran the first time, I could help every constituent and do a good job for them," she said.
"I'm running again because in the little less than four years since I took office, I have run a very good office. I have great office staff. I have run eight elections with perfect counts, audits and recounts."
"I knew I was ready to put in another four years and work for the people," she said.
Accomplishments as county clerk
Dreiling also shared other accomplishments as county clerk.
She helped the county consolidate its nine townships to four.
"It's a cost saving to the taxpayers in ballot preparations and just running a better township," she said.
She said she's tried to as much as possible maintain a neutral budget.
The clerk's office started using smaller envelopes for mail-in ballots, saving money on office supplies and postage. She also decreased the election budget by using a lease program for election poll pads.
Dreiling was the first clerk in Ellis County to prepare revenue-neutral rate mailings. She also handled the redistricting.
She implemented Saturday early voting and text/email notifications on election information.
Fort Hays State University polling location
Her opponent and the ACLU have criticized Dreiling for not opening a voting location on the Fort Hays State University campus.
Dreiling closed the voting location closest to FHSU, 601 Main, because of low voter turnout.
She combined that ward and precinct with another that had to be closed because of issues with Americans with Disabilities Act compliance.
The new location for both wards and precincts is Messiah Lutheran Church, 2000 Main.
"As to why I chose not to put one exactly on campus, the numbers don't show for me to allow to spend taxpayer dollars," she said.
She said about 1,650 students were living on the FHSU campus, according to FHSU. Based on the voter registration roles, 69 voters registered in Ellis County live on campus.
She said there are 268 eligible voters between 18 and 24 in Ward One, Precinct One, which includes the 69 students living on campus. An additional 171 eligible 18- to 24-year-old voters live in Ward One Precinct Two.
Both precincts that are combined at Messiah Lutheran have 1,420 eligible voters.
"I have 981 voters who are going to have to figure out where to go on campus, how to park on campus and finding the polling location," Dreiling said.
"I have two places centrally located, Messiah Lutheran Church and centrally located right down the street from the campus, 718 Main St.," she said.
"When I look at the numbers at the polls," she said, "I will always relook at things."
Dreiling sent an email to students who are part of the American Democracy Project that included information about voter registration deadlines, advance voting and mail ballots so that information could be shared with students. She also has added Saturday voting hours.
"I will always work with the students to let them know how easy it is to vote in Ellis County," she said.
Dreiling said she would like to send postcards to all new county residents about registering to vote, but she does not have the budget to do that.
Dreiling said she does not think there is anything she can do to increase voter turnout.
Incorrect ballots
During the Hays USD 489 school bond election, two voters received incorrect ballots due to human error in the Ellis County Clerk's office.
Dreiling said two voters who were not eligible to vote on the city sales tax received ballots with that question on them. Two staff members handed those voters the wrong ballots during advance voting.
That question passed by a wide margin.
Since then, Dreiling has trained poll workers to ask voters to confirm their ballot tickets and ballots match.
Ballot drop boxes
Dreiling was also criticized by her opponent in a Hays Post letter to the editor for removing ballot drop boxes from Victoria and Ellis. A drop box remains for mail-in ballots at the Ellis County Administration Center, 718 Main.
The Kansas Secretary of State urged all local election officials to increase ballot box security after the 2020 election. This included not allowing ballots to remain in ballot boxes overnight, Dreiling said.
She said this would have required the county to pay a Republican and Democrat to retrieve keys from the Ellis County Clerk's office, unlock the boxes in the morning every day, lock the boxes in the evening and return ballots in the boxes to the Ellis County Clerk's office at night.
These procedures must be maintained for two and a half weeks before Election Day, Dreiling said.
She tested the procedures in the November 2023 election. No ballots were dropped into the Ellis or Victoria ballot boxes.
"From a budget standpoint, I found it wasn't in my budget to keep that kind of practice having those two open when they weren't utilized," Dreiling said.
Voters can still take their mail-in ballots to any polling location in the county on Election Day.
Dreiling obtained an election security grant of $6,000 to install a camera at the ballot drop box at the county administration center. The camera allows her to view the car's license plate, the driver and the ballots being dropped into the box. It has also allowed her to leave the drop box open 24/7, Dreiling said.
Election security, accuracy
Part of the election security grant also went toward cameras in the ballot counting room and the room in which the election equipment is stored, Dreiling said.
Dreiling has an election and security processes manual that covers the steps and checks and balances during the election from the time the ballots enter the clerk's office through audits.
Dreiling also focuses on training poll workers and ensuring the accuracy of election equipment pre-and post-tests. Election officials must also perform post-election audits of a percentage of the results.
She said ballots are counted before they leave the clerk's office, and the number of ballots coming back must match.
Voting eligibility?
After felons have completed all their obligations under their sentences, including completing parole and paying any financial commitments, they can reregister to vote.
The restoration is not automatic.
Dreiling said clerks are required to check a statewide database to ensure people have met their obligations. She said the system is often not up to date, which is a systemwide issue.
She urged residents facing this issue to bring in their release letters from the Department of Corrections to the clerk's office when registering to vote.
When and where to vote
Early voting will be from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, Oct. 21, through noon Monday, Nov. 4. Saturday early voting will be from 9 a.m. to noon Nov. 2.
Election Day will be Tuesday, Nov. 5. Vote at your regular polling location from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Watch the Hays Post for complete election results on Election night.