KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Election day is rapidly approaching, and Kansas and Missouri voters are preparing to cast their ballots in the midterms on Nov. 8.
KSHB 41 News is looking ahead to keep you in the loop on when to register, how to vote and what to expect on the ballot.
Kansas
The deadline to register to vote for the election in Kansas is Oct. 18.
All Kansas voters are eligible to request a mail-in ballot and must do so by Oct. 26. Advanced voting will take place from Oct. 19 to Nov. 7.
Polls from FiveThirtyEight show the race for Kansas governor is close, with Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly and Attorney General Derek Schmidt polling in the 40-50% range. Sen. Dennis Pyle, an independent challenger, is polling at 2-3% in the race.
Libertarian candidate for governor, Seth Cordell, is also running for governor, but was not listed in the poll.
Democrats have booked $5 million in ad spending in the race for governor, while Republicans are just behind with $4.8 million, according to a Sept. 29 article from NBC News.
Matt Harris, an assistant professor of political science at Park University in Parkville, Missouri, said Kansas voters are prioritizing the economy, inflation and reproductive rights in this election.
He also said the topic of COVID-19 response could be front-and-center in Wednesday's debate.
"Thinking of the mindset in March 2020, when those decisions were made, and then how do voters view that now?" Harris said. "I think it was even Joe Biden said that the pandemic's over. So how do people view those decisions in retrospect?"
In the Senate race, Republican incumbent Jerry Moran will be challenged by Democrat Mark Holland, the former mayor of Kansas City, Kansas.
You can search your Kansas voter registration information online.
Missouri
The deadline to register to vote in Missouri is Oct. 12.
A photo ID law signed in June requires voters to show a photo ID while casting their ballot. A Cole County judge is weighing lawsuits filed last month over the law, which claim that the law "burdens" the right to vote and serves no purpose.
The last day Missouri voters are able to request a mail-in ballot is Oct. 26, and the ballots must be mailed in on Nov. 8 or sooner.
In the Missouri senate election, voters will decide between Missouri's Attorney General Eric Schmitt, the Republican candidate, and Democrat Trudy Busch Valentine.
Missouri voters will also be deciding whether or not to legalize recreational marijuana in the state.
If you are a Missouri voter, you can learn about where to find your polling location online.
