Johnson County Auditor Julie Persons and local election security partners joined the Iowa Secretary of State’s Office for election security preparedness exercises. 

“Participating in these exercises alongside state and local partners is invaluable to strengthen our processes,” said Auditor Julie Persons. “While we hope to never face these scenarios, proactively planning for a wide range of potential challenges ensures we can respond effectively. My priority is to uphold secure, transparent, and fair elections for all voters, regardless of the circumstances.”

The tabletop exercises focused on effective responses to potential election-related threats and simulated potential issues or emergencies that could affect voters and the election process. This training allows local election officials and their security teams to evaluate their emergency response procedures and preparedness for such crises.

In attendance with County Auditor Persons were County Auditor First Deputy Eric Van Lancker; County Sheriff’s Office Lieutenant Chris Wisman and Lieutenant Katrina Clary; and County Emergency Management Director Dave Wilson and Deputy Emergency Management Coordinator Travis Beckman.

Through discussion-based tabletop exercises meant to simulate realistic election-related crisis possibilities, the team discussed their prospective roles during such an emergency. These simulations included hazardous weather, breaches of physical or cyber security, misinformation campaigns, equipment malfunction, and more.

These tabletop exercises, conducted by the Iowa Secretary of State’s Office with support from the Ready Tuesday group, occur annually and reach hundreds of election officials and local security partners each year.