Several voting-related and election security bills from the Secretary of State’s desk have had their day in committee. While not all have passed, it reflects the broader question of how to ensure public trust in the voting process.

In Monday’s Senate State Affairs committee, a bill to amend the electoral petitioning process was discussed, and ultimately killed, by lawmakers.

Brandon Republican Sen. Steve Kolbeck sits on this committee. By now he’s heard every argument there is about electoral policy.

“I think there’s still a bit of a hangover from the previous Presidential election, and they’re just trying to make sure that everybody’s on the same page," Kolbeck said. "We’ve had pro and con and they all – some of them have made some very, very good arguments on what we should have to change. Part of it is a cleanup, and part of it is recognizing we need to adapt.”

Kolbeck said in 2026, an election year with significant implications at the local and national level, he’s confident in the safety of the vote.

“I think that our elections are safe – I do," Kolbeck said. "I think our county auditors do a great job, I have a couple of them and I trust them because I’ve known them for years. Once you get into the discussions with them, you realize there is a reason for everything. You’ve really got to dig into how they’re doing their job and what they do.”

With that in mind, Kolbeck said he can get onboard with reasonable efforts to ensure election integrity.

“When you go into hand counting, when you go into electronic tabulating machines – I feel tabulating machines are safe," Kolbeck said. "Can we put bumpers around things? Absolutely, but I do feel those machines are safe.”

Last week during the same committee, lawmakers heard arguments connected to challenging an individual’s right to vote, how to properly print ballots, and the provisions tied to tabulating ballots.