OLATHE, Kan. — Thousands of Johnson County election workers’ personal information could be compromised.
That alert comes after a business executive was arrested on suspicion of identity theft in Los Angeles.
The Johnson County Election Office uses PollChief to communicate with and to assign poll workers. It’s required that the data be stored on a server within the U.S.
On Tuesday, an executive with the Michigan-based company that owns the software was arrested. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office found that information was stored on servers in China.
Right now, it’s unknown if the personal data of more than 6,000 Johnson County poll workers has been breached. Johnson County Board of Commissioners Chairman Ed Eilert said they’re in the process of reviewing information, trying to figure that out.
A Johnson County spokesperson said in a statement, “It’s unknown at this time if Johnson County poll worker data was stored in a manner that violated the contract.”
The county also said it does not use the full functionality of the software and does not include payroll.
More than 6,000 past and present Johnson County election workers have been notified about the possible breach.
Eilert said it’s his understanding that PollChief manages workers — not the election systems, themselves, so it didn’t infringe on the voting process. He said the county continues “to stand by the integrity of Johnson County elections.”
In March, the Johnson County sheriff launched an investigation into election fraud claims.
Sheriff Calvin Hayden didn’t want to comment on this week’s developments, but said with this case plus new information, the investigation into election fraud will now take a little longer.
If you believe your information has been stolen, contact your local law enforcement.