Clark Summers chosen for elections task force

A local county clerk was chosen as a member of a new bipartisan group designed to maintain the integrity of elections in Missouri.

Secretary of State Jason Kander on Wednesday announced the formation of the Elections Integrity Task Force, which will bring together federal law enforcement officials and local and state election authorities.

Members of the task force include the secretary of state, as well as police chiefs, assistant U.S. Attorneys, FBI special agents in Missouri and prosecuting attorneys. Three county clerks also are among the 12-person group, including Cape Girardeau County Clerk Kara Clark Summers.

The task force will meet each election year "to help coordinate efforts to ensure Missouri elections remain fair, secure and accessible," said a news release from Kander's office.

"This task force will help ensure that fair elections continue in Missouri, and will provide Missourians with confidence in the process," Kander said in a news release. "By working together across government agencies, we will be able to move swiftly before, during and after each election to protect the integrity of the process."

Some of the goals for the task force are opening lines of communication between agencies and establishing new protocols for responding to alleged violations in the elections process.

This isn't Kander's first attempt to bolster the accuracy of Missouri elections. Last year, he established the Elections Integrity Unit. Based in the Elections division of the secretary of state's office, the unit investigates credible allegations of voting improprieties within its jurisdiction.

The unit is a vehicle for citizens and election authorities to report their concerns, and reviews of the office's findings are made available to the public on the secretary of state's website. More information is available at sos.mo.gov.

srinehart@semissourian.com

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