Want to vote in Sedgwick County this year? The deadline to register is Tuesday
Tuesday is the last day to register to vote in the 2020 general election to decide the next president, U.S. Senator from Kansas and several important local races.
“We’re expecting a very large turnout,” Sedgwick County Election Commissioner Tabitha Lehman said.
To register online, visit the Kansas Secretary of State’s website or ksvotes.org to complete a registration form.
Sedgwick County residents without internet access may register in-person at the Sedgwick County Election Office at 510 N. Main.
For help with registration, call county election officials at 316-660-7100.
You may check your voter registration status at ksvotes.org or by calling the election office during normal business hours.
In Kansas, voters have three options to cast their ballots — vote early by mail, vote early in person and vote in-person on Election Day — and several key deadlines are fast approaching for those who want to vote by mail.
Voting by mail
All registered voters in Kansas may vote by mail. But to receive a ballot, you must request it ahead of time.
The deadline to apply for an advance by mail ballot is Oct. 27. Mail-in ballots must be postmarked by 7 p.m., Nov. 3, and received by the election office by Nov. 6.
Voters may return mail ballots to the Sedgwick County election office or to any of the secure ballot drop boxes sprinkled throughout the county. Ballots can also be sent through the mail.
Although most domestic election mail is delivered in 2-5 days, the United States Postal Service recommends mailing your ballot at least one week before the deadline.
That means domestic voters should apply for advance mail-in ballots no later than Oct. 20 and send completed ballots by Oct. 27.
If you receive a ballot through the mail, but decide later to vote in-person instead, you may be forced to fill-out a provisional ballot, Lehman said.
“That’s going to take you substantially longer,” Lehman said. “You have to fill out a new voter registration card, you’re required by law to fill that out. You have to fill out paperwork, it takes a lot longer for you, for the election workers and then your vote will not be counted until canvassing because we have to have those provisional ballots come back, we have to verify that we did not get your early ballot, your vote by mail ballot, back before we know we have your provisional ballot.
“So if you requested a ballot by mail, it’s best to vote that ballot,” she said.
Important dates:
Oct. 13: Deadline to register to vote
Oct. 14: Sedgwick County begins sending out advance by-mail ballots.
Oct. 27: Deadline to apply for an advance mail-in ballot
Nov. 3: Mail ballots must be postmarked by Election Day
Nov. 6: Mail ballots don’t count unless they’re received by the county election office by Friday on the week of the election.
Early in-person voting runs from Oct. 19 to Nov. 2 at locations throughout the county.
Drop boxes
To avoid crowds that could spread COVID-19, the Sedgwick County Election Office has purchased 14 ballot drop boxes with CARES Act funding passed through the Secretary of State’s Office. Mail-in ballots may be dropped in those boxes until 7 p.m. on Election Day, when the polls close.
The drop boxes are available at several outdoor locations throughout the county:
Wichita
Boston Recreation Center, 6655 E. Zimmerly
Evergreen Park Recreation Center, 2700 N. Woodland
Linwood Recreation Center, 1901 S. Kansas
Orchard Recreation Center, 4808 W. Ninth St.
Sedgwick County Courthouse, 525 N. Main
Sedgwick County Health Department, 1900 E. Ninth St.
Bel Aire
Bel Aire City Hall, 7651 E. Central Park
Haysville
Haysville Police Department - Court Services, 200 W. Grand
Valley Center
Valley Center City Hall, 121 S. Meridian
Clearwater
Clearwater City Hall, 129 E. Ross
Maize
Maize City Administration, 10100 W. Grady
Derby
Derby Public Library, 1600 E. Walnut Grove Road
Goddard
Fire Station 35, 1535 S. 199th St. West
Park City
Fire Station 32, 7750 Wild West Road
This story was originally published October 11, 2020 at 6:17 AM.