POST FALLS — Jim Brannon wasn’t there to talk about last year’s Nov. 3 general election.

He was at the Kootenai County Reagan Republicans luncheon in Post Falls on Thursday to talk about elections, in general.

Although references were made to the election challenge lawsuit trial that wrapped up last week, the bulk of Brannon’s speech was to encourage voters to ask their legislators to tighten state laws over federal ones when it comes to casting ballots.

Leaving voting rules in the hands of the state would better ensure rules and regulations are being followed for state and city elections, he said.

“States have an interest in preventing a delusion of the votes at the state level,” Brannon said. “Individuals who do not meet residency or citizenship requirements can easily vote.”

To prevent that, legislators should exercise state power. Under the federal National Voter Registration Act, states are specifically allowed to require an individual who registered to vote by mail to vote the first time in person. That’s not a rule in Kootenai County.

“That might have cleaned up some things that we’re seeing in other troubling situations in states throughout the country,” he said of voters who don’t live in the jurisdictions in which they voted via mail.

The state also has the power to require state courts to notify election officials when people whose names are drawn from registration rolls but are excused from jury duty because they claim they no longer live in that jurisdiction. If they’re not there to serve jury duty, the state should give elections departments the same power to remove them from the voting rolls, he said.

“You can’t have it both ways,” Brannon said.

Better notification will also assist officials on the names of fraudulent voters they should turn over to the prosecutor’s office to be prosecuted. Taxing officials could also turn over similar information to elections officials when they receive it. Comparing data between voter registers and property rolls could detect individuals who are registering at commercial addresses.

Other state rules on voting have been enacted. This November, voters will have to produce identification to vote.

“Thank you,” Brannon said of the new rule. “If you have to provide ID to rent a movie you should be able to produce ID to vote.”

Brannon, the Seat 2 City Council challenger, is in a lawsuit against incumbent Mike Kennedy over his narrow loss. A crux of the case was federal vs. municipal rules pertaining to absentee voters.

Brannon told the members that if they showed up to listen about the details of the case, they’re “going to be sorely disappointed.”

Instead, he urged voters to talk to their legislators about implementing state rules over federal mandates.

“We’re not talking about one election several months ago, we’re talking about our country and how election laws are being looked at right now,” he said. “Please inform your state legislators to pass resolutions urging your congressional representatives to oppose legislation that will impose further federal requirements on how our elections are run.”

Dan Green, who is running unopposed for a Kootenai County Commissioners seat, said after the talk there could be a lot for state legislators to address for future voting rules.

“I’m confident there is always room for improvement,” he said.