Kansas voters head to the polls Tuesday, with two of the most closely watched items on the ballot being the race for governor, and a constitutional amendment on how Kansas selects Supreme Court justices. Early voting has drawn a large number of unaffiliated voters, driven in part by interest in the amendment.
The constitutional amendment on the ballot will determine how Kansas selects its Supreme Court justices. Currently, justices are selected by a nominating commission. If voters approve the amendment, Kansans would elect justices directly.
The amendment is open to all voters, regardless of party affiliation.
The race for Kansas governor features 10 candidates — three Democrats and seven Republicans — following Gov. Laura Kelly reaching her term limit.
The polls close at 7:00 p.m.
Live coverage of results may be heard on 98.7 & 1330 KNSS.
Sedgwick County Election Commissioner Laura Rainwater said she’s expecting about a 30% turnout for the primary.
That's a much lower percentage for an August election than four years ago for the Kansas abortion referendum question, with a nearly a 50% turnout.
On election day, all voters must go to their assigned polling locations. Advance voting for the primary election closed at noon on Monday, with the Sedgwick County election office reporting that more than 25,000 people have already cast their ballots, and another 8,747 mail ballots have been received.
This is a jump from the numbers recorded by the election office during the last two primaries.
On election day, there are 109 polling sites across Sedgwick County, and 17 ballot drop boxes; those boxes close at 7:00 p.m. as well.
Some voters will decide on a 1% sales tax that could bring $3.5 million annually to the hospital in El Dorado.
U.S. Senate, U.S. House, secretary of state, state Board of Education, and state House seats are also on the ballot.
Voters registered with a political party may vote only in their own party’s primary. Independent or unaffiliated voters may participate in either primary if they affiliate with that party at the polls. All voters may weigh in on the constitutional amendment.
The three-day grace period for mail-in ballots will be in place for this election; mail-in ballots may be received for up to three days after Tuesday’s primary, as long as they were postmarked by election day.
