KANSAS CITY, Mo — Ahead of the August 2nd primaries, voters told KSHB 41 why it's important to head to the polls on election day.
“So many of our ancestors died because they didn’t have that right to vote, you know?” Missouri voter Deborah Holden-Johnson said. “Every little vote helps, no matter what.”
A man who plans to vote on Tuesday said gives people a chance to be heard.
“You can talk about change all you want and how you want change, but if you’re not gonna go vote, you’re just talking,” said Missouri voter, Kurt Roberts.
“I believe that it really is out of ignorance, not educating yourself on what it is that some of the real issues are,” said Kansas voter, Stephen Johnson.
Early voting numbers in Kansas this year were triple the number of advance voters in2018.
23-year-old Kaylyn Coons is one those voters who voted in advance to make sure her voice is heard regarding the Value Them Both Amendment.
“I vote every election pretty much,” said Coons. “Like I said, I’m in medical school. I think that every woman should have a choice and abortion is healthcare. So very important for me to go vote.”
She says the political climate in the country is leading younger voters like her to show up to the polls in greater numbers.
It is a way for her to advocate for others.
“It would be a privilege for me to not vote because a lot of policy doesn’t affect me being obviously a white woman,” said Coons.
Father and daughter, Drew and Sylvi Shonka, said politics and voting are talked about often in their household.
They feel voting continues to become more urgent and relevant year after year.
“Everybody sees what’s going on, everybody sees what they want changed, so making that happen is something that I want to help with,” said Sylvi Shonka.
Her father knows the importance of voting.
“People who think that they are purists on Election Day, who say they won’t vote, I say get out there and vote because it does matter and your vote can make a difference. We’ve seen razor thin margins in many elections these last couple decades,” said Drew Shonka.
