[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 85 (Tuesday, June 9, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1350]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    TRIBUTE TO JOHNSON COUNTY ASSISTANT ELECTION COMMISSIONER KAREN 
                                BROWNING

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                           HON. DENNIS MOORE

                               of kansas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 9, 2009

  Mr. MOORE of Kansas. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to have this 
opportunity to pay Karen Browning, who recently stepped down after 41 
years of service with the Johnson County, Kansas, Election Office, 
including 27 years as Assistant Election Commissioner.
  Dedicated, experienced public servants like Karen Browning are the 
glue that holds government together at all levels, but they often do 
not receive the respect and consideration that they deserve. Karen 
Browning's retirement took from her office 41 years of deep devotion to 
her community and an intricate knowledge of the rules and history of 
Johnson County elections--a background that the citizens of Johnson 
County will find to be irreplaceable. I am pleased to have this 
opportunity to share with the other members of the House of 
Representatives a brief profile of Karen Browning which recently was 
published in the Johnson County Sun. I know that all Johnson Countians 
join with me in wishing Karen Browning all the best as she embarks upon 
her much deserved retirement, and we also thank her for her years of 
dedicated service and work to ensure that Johnson County elections have 
been conducted in a manner above reproach.

            Election Official Retires After Serving 40 Years

                            (By Chuck Kurtz)

       It was a one-issue, one-candidate ``election'' and 
     assistant election commissioner Karen Browning cast the only 
     vote: ``Yes to Proposition Retirement.''
       After nearly 41 years with the Johnson County Election 
     Office in Olathe, Browning officially retired May 22; a 
     reception in her honor is planned for 3 to 6 p.m. June 17 at 
     the Election Office, 2101 E. Kansas City Road, Southeast of 
     Bass Pro, where Kansas Secretary of State Ron Thornburgh will 
     pay tribute to her service.
       Also speaking will be County Chairwoman Annabeth Surbaugh 
     and Johnson County Election Commissioner Brian Newby.
       Browning said she always will look back on her career with 
     great fondness.
       ``My time at the Election Office was an incredible 
     experience, full of hard work, passion for elections and 
     democracy,'' she said. ``It has been a great career that I 
     have always enjoyed, but it's time for a new chapter in my 
     life and to take it easy.'' In the past 40 years Browning 
     has: Worked in more than 200 Johnson County elections, 
     including 11 presidential elections; Served under six of 
     Johnson County's eight election commissioners and 32 county 
     commissioners; and, Watched the county's voter registration 
     increase almost fourfold.
       She said she welcomed the end to hand-counting thousands of 
     paper ballots when the county switched to touch-screen voting 
     machines. Counting paper ballots is time consuming, she said, 
     and computers bring quicker results and less stress.
       Browning's passion for the importance of voting was 
     instilled in her as a child.
       ``My folks always talked about voting and how important it 
     was,'' she said. ``I started when I was young. Voting was 
     already an important part of my life.''
       That led to her passion for doing her best as an employee 
     at the election office. Newby said Browning was a walking 
     encyclopedia and office historian. She has complete records 
     on every election since she has been with the county.
       ``If anyone has a question about a past election, Karen is 
     the person to ask,'' he said.
       ``She has given so much to our county and to our voters; 
     she provided the best return on tax dollars that could ever 
     be imagined,'' Newby said. ``She leaves with the distinction 
     of being the most effective election office employee ever in 
     Johnson County.''
       In Browning's first presidential election Nov. 5, 1968, a 
     total of 88,314 of Johnson County's 100,610 registered voters 
     cast their ballots. In her last presidential election, Nov. 
     5, 2008, a total of 285,001 of the 364,441 registered voters 
     cast ballots.
       Her first job at the election office was as a key punch 
     operator since all voter registration cards and reports were 
     typed by hand.
       ``When we processed registrations, we typed them into the 
     books that went to the polling places,'' she said. ``We typed 
     men on one page and women on another, which I found very 
     interesting.''
       Newby said Browning has been instrumental in the evolution 
     of the voter registration process, which she has overseen for 
     many years.
       In 1978, Browning was named election clerk supervisor 
     followed by election manager in 1979 with primary 
     responsibilities for voter registration and list maintenance.
       She has served as assistant election commissioner the past 
     27 years.
       Browning also has overseen Census and mapping operations, 
     and knows Johnson County geography like the back of her hand, 
     since any ``visible ground feature'' might someday be needed 
     as a precinct boundary.
       Although the election process has experienced significant 
     changes over the years, Browning said one thing has not 
     changed. The integrity of the ballot, even from a touch-
     screen voting machine, is still held sacred, and that 
     requires rigorous adherence to the office's confirmation 
     procedures, she said.
       Browning has mixed feelings about leaving Johnson County 
     public service, but admits she will most miss the people.
       ``Elections begin and end with people,'' she said.
       In retirement, Browning plans to spend more time with her 
     family, and continue to volunteer in her many civic and 
     church activities.
       Her family includes three sons, three grandchildren, and 
     two great-grandchildren.
       ``We will miss her and wish her well,'' Newby said, ``but 
     we are gratified to know that she will always be a phone call 
     away to advise us if we have a thorny issue. We even 
     offered--threatened, I guess--to continue equipping her with 
     a Blackberry so she could still be in the e-mail loop and 
     give us guidance.''
       So far, no response from Browning.

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