KANSAS CITY, Kan. — It’s Wyandotte County Elections Commissioner Bruce Newby's fourth time round supervising a general election for a presidential race.
Amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and with an historic election two weeks away, Newby said 2020 has already been one to remember.
“I’m old enough to retire,” he said, jokingly.
Newby, who was appointed in 2006, said he felt best equipped to oversee the county’s election processes amid a turbulent year.
As advance voting began Tuesday the county, including Kansas City, Kansas, the long-time election supervisor had one piece of advice for registered voters.
“Vote early,” he said. “Don't wait till the last minute. That's been a historical thing in Wyandotte County is everybody waits till the last day."
The most common questions voters have, according to Newby, revolve around pandemic safety and the speed of mail-in ballots being counted.
Newby urged those who have requested mail-in ballots to be patient, adding that requesting duplicate ballots slows down the manual counting process.
The Wyandotte County Elections Office has received 7,000 duplicate applications through Oct. 19, he said.