KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Advance voting is underway in the state of Kansas.
Times and locations vary by county, but Wyandotte County opened advanced voting Monday and Johnson County started on Saturday.
Unified Government Election Commissioner Michael Abbott said more than 92,400 people are registered to vote in Wyandotte County, the largest number of voter registrations he’s seen in six years.
Abbott said he believes the increase in registration is partly due to the proposed constitutional amendment regarding abortion rights, which was defeated during the August primary.
“The primary we had little over 35% voter turnout," Abbott said. "Normally, it's 15% and sometimes it's 10%. On a primary, we’re happy to at least hit 20%, which it's not very much, but for primary 35% was quite a bit and that was due to that question.”
Voters can take part in advance voting by bringing a valid ID to a county election office or satellite location. Advance voting ends Nov. 7 and voters do not need to provide a reason for casting a ballot before the Nov. 8 general election.
Mail-in ballots, which voters must apply for, also have been sent out. The status of ballots can be monitored through the Secretary of State's website.
“We love the early voting because it's that rush on that day,” said Teresa Kovac, a voter in Wyandotte County. “This has been a godsend when they started this. I thought it was the smartest thing the state of Kansas did.”
Johnson County began advanced voting Saturday.
Election Commissioner Frank Sherman said it’s still too early to predict voter turnout, but he noted that voter turnout increases in November during even-numbered years.
“For the Aug. 2 primary election, over 98,000 Johnson County voters voted in-person during advance voting,” Sherman said. “While over 126,000 Johnson County voters voted on election day, Tuesday Aug. 2.”
You can learn more about advance voting in Kansas on the KSHB 41 News Election Guide.
