With primaries approaching, why doesn’t Johnson County have an election commissioner?

Voters across the nation will be casting ballots during the coming months in the most consequential elections in memory. If there’s a critical election year, 2020 is it.

Voters have an absolute right to expect a ballot process that is open, fair, convenient and secure. Casting a vote must be frictionless and transparent. Ballots must be protected, and the results must be as accurate as humanly possible.

Unfortunately, Kansas may fall short of those goals.

Johnson County still lacks an election commissioner. The former commissioner, Republican Ronnie Metsker, resigned in December, and Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab has yet to name a replacement.

In early January, Schwab said he would extend the application process until the end of the month “to account for the holiday season.” While that’s a reasonable approach, it means Schwab must make his choice quickly.

Johnson Countians should expect the secretary of state to name a new commissioner by the end of February. That would give the commissioner just five months to learn before the primary, the bare minimum preparation he or she would need.

Failing to meet that deadline would cheat Johnson County voters out of reasonable oversight of their elections this year.

Tasking the secretary of state with making this appointment remains problematic. In 2018, Metsker supervised the recount in a race involving Kris Kobach — the man who gave Metsker his job. The conflict was clear.

But unfortunately, that law won’t change before Schwab makes his pick. He can’t afford to delay this decision any longer.

The secretary of state’s foot-dragging on establishing rules for polling locations this year is also a cause for concern.

In 2019, the Kansas Legislature approved a bill allowing voters to cast a ballot at any polling place in their county. The intent was clear and laudable: It should be easy for a voter to cast a ballot.

But the law requires the secretary of state to set rules and regulations for the practice. Surprise: Schwab now says there won’t be time for that this year.

“We believe in the spirit of the law, we want to implement the law, but not in a way that makes people doubt the outcome of the election,” Schwab said. He wants more time to work on election security issues.

Yes, Kansans should not doubt the outcome of the election. But they also should expect the secretary of state to carry out the will of their elected representatives.

The polling location law took effect in April 2019. Schwab has had quite enough time to figure out how to make it work. That he has not done so may convince some Kansans he has motives other than election security in mind.

Some Democrats may take the secretary to court, and some Republicans want to give counties the right to establish county-wide voting places without Schwab’s involvement. Both are good ideas.

In 2020, Kansans should find it easier than ever to cast a ballot. The person responsible for making that happen needs to make sure that’s true.