Sedgwick County voters have another opportunity to cast their ballots ahead of next week's Kansas primary election as satellite early voting locations open Tuesday across the county.
Seventeen satellite voting sites in seven cities will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, followed by 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. hours on Saturday. The expanded locations join the three existing advance voting sites that have been operating since July 20.
The deadline to request an advance ballot by mail is also Tuesday, making it one of the final key dates before the Aug. 4 primary election. Voters who have already received a mail ballot can return it by mail or deliver it to their county election office or an authorized drop box before Election Day.
Election officials encourage voters to take advantage of early voting to avoid potential Election Day lines. The Sedgwick County Election Office is now operating from its new location at 3639 N. Comotara, where officials say the larger voting room has improved the early voting experience.
Voters will make a key decision regarding the selection process for justices to the Kansas Supreme Court.
Currently, the Kansas governor appoints justices from a field that is narrowed by a nomination commission consisting of legal experts. On the website for Kansas courts, the judicial branch spells out how the current system works:
“Supreme Court vacancies are filled using a merit-based nomination process that Kansans voted to add to the Kansas Constitution in 1958. When there is a vacancy on the bench, the Supreme Court Nominating Commission reviews applications and conducts public interviews of nominees. The commission narrows the nominee pool to three names that it sends to the governor. The governor chooses one nominee to appoint.”
In the Aug. 4 primary, Kansas voters will vote “yes” or “no” to decide whether judges should be elected instead.
