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<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><img width="625" height="147" style="width:6.5069in;height:1.5347in" id="_x0000_i1025" src="cid:image001.png@01D875DF.2F3AA940" alt="Graphical user interface, text
Description automatically generated"></span><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">June 1, 2022<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><u><span style="font-size:22.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Successful audits prove Idaho elections are safe, secure<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Boise, Idaho – Idaho leaders are celebrating the state’s safe and secure elections after new investments this year prove our county clerks carried out a near-perfect primary election in
May.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">“We added new election integrity investments as part of my ‘Leading Idaho’ plan this year to enhance transparency and assure Idahoans their vote counts, and I appreciate my legislative
partners for making it a priority. The outcome of the first post-election integrity audits prove what Idaho has consistently demonstrated – that we administer our elections with the utmost care and preparedness. Our ‘Leading Idaho’ plan continues these post-election
integrity audits moving forward and adds resources to protect our elections against cyber threats,”
<b>Governor Brad Little</b> said. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:black">“My confidence in Idaho’s 44 elected county clerks was once again affirmed by the results of our first official post-election audit
this past week. While we were very pleased with the outcomes in the eight randomly selected counties we reviewed, we are already looking at how we can improve the process – and the scope of our review – to continue to provide meaningful insight to the elections
community and bolster confidence amongst Idaho voters that Idaho’s election procedures, security measures, and ultimately, election outcomes can be relied upon,”<b> S</b></span><b><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">ecretary of State Lawerence
Denney</span></b><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"> said.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">“It was gratifying to know that Ada, Bannock, Bonneville, Idaho, Jerome, Kootenai, Madison and Payette counties were successful in their first
post-election audit. We were so grateful for the opportunity to go through this endeavor and gain an outside evaluation of our process and results. As an association we were looking forward to the process that would provide positive feedback when we excel,
learn from the experiences, and help us ascertain and make improvements to our procedures. The best thing about a new process is the opportunity to collaborate amongst our peers and with the Secretary of State’s Office to develop more unified processes that
provide the needed transparency for public understanding and confidence. We thank Secretary Denney and his team for their efforts and support. The Secretary of State’s Office clearly defined areas for examination prior to the audit and did a great job in clarifying
the purpose as results verification and not a recount as they are separate functions,”
<b>Idaho Association of County Recorders and Clerks President (and Power County Clerk) Sharee Sprague</b> said.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">“Our county clerks are the stewards of Idaho’s election system, and I appreciate their diligence in carrying out this critical function of our democratic republic. I applaud Secretary of
State Lawerence Denney and his team for an outstanding job working with counties to complete these important audits,” Governor Little added.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"># # #<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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