How do you vote early in Kansas? What to know for the primary election in KCK, JoCo
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KCQ Votes: Answering questions on August primaries
The Star’s Service Journalism team is providing information you need to know about issues, voting laws and election procedures for Kansas, Missouri and the KC area.
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In person, early voting in Wyandotte County opens Saturday, July 23, at all four county voting locations.
You can view a list of these locations and the hours they will be open for early voting here. If you are registered to vote in Wyandotte County, you can vote at any of the early voting sites.
In Johnson County, nine early voting locations opened on Saturday, July 16. Seven more are opening on Saturday, July 23. You can view a list of these locations and the hours they will be open for early voting here. As with Wyandotte County, Johnson County voters can vote at any of the early voting sites.
If you live in another Kansas county, check your local election authority’s website for its early voting times and locations.
Who can vote early in Kansas?
Every registered voter in Kansas is eligible to vote early, in person in any election, without giving a reason.
What do you need to bring with you to vote early?
To vote early in person, simply show up to the early voting location of your choice with a photo ID. If you don’t have a valid photo ID based on Kansas state law, you will be given a provisional ballot.
Keep in mind that your nearest early voting location may not be the same place where you would go to vote on Election Day or where you may have voted in the past.
What about the ballot drop boxes?
If you want to vote by mail or using one of the ballot drop boxes, you need to request an absentee ballot.
You can apply for one by July 26. Here’s how to do that. You do not need an excuse to request a mailed ballot in Kansas.
You can then return your mailed ballot in three ways: by mailing it back to your local election office, by bringing it to a polling place on Election Day or by dropping it in an official ballot drop box.
If you live in Wyandotte County, you can find a list of ballot drop box locations here. You can drop off your mailed ballot any time between Thursday, July 14, and 7 p.m. on Election Day, Aug. 2, at any of the drop box locations.
If you live in Johnson County, you can find a list of ballot drop box locations here. You can drop off your mailed ballot at any of these locations starting July 13. Make sure your ballot is returned by the time polls close on Election Day.
What will be on my ballot?
To see a sample ballot for your county and party, check your registration and view election details using this website.
In the Kansas primary, you can vote for candidates running in the party you are registered with. But even if you are not registered with a party, you will still be able to vote on statewide ballot initiatives, including the constitutional amendment that would remove statewide abortion protections.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREYour quick guide to the Kansas abortion amendment
The Kansas state constitution currently protects the right to abortion, but the upcoming Aug. 2 vote will ask voters to decide on an amendment that would get rid of that right.
If Kansans vote yes on the ballot and the amendment passes, the legislature will have the opportunity to impose new restrictions on abortion, which could include banning the procedure. A ban would not go in place immediately, but legislators would be able to pass one. Earlier this year, a state legislator introduced a bill that would have banned and criminalized nearly all abortions, but it never got a hearing and died once the legislative session closed in May.
If Kansans vote no and the amendment does not pass, the legislature would continue to be barred from passing most legislation that impedes on an individual’s access to abortion. Any new abortion restrictions would need to clear an extremely high level of “strict scrutiny” from the court to become law. Current abortion restrictions could be challenged in court, but any actual changes to the current restrictions would depend on Kansas courts ruling that the regulation in question violates the state’s constitution.
All registered voters can participate in the vote, regardless of party affiliation.
The Star answered the most common reader questions we received about the abortion amendment here.
Other primary races on the Aug. 2 ballot include the governor, attorney general, state legislators for your district and more.
Do you have more questions about early voting in Kansas? Ask the Service Journalism team at kcq@kcstar.com.
This story was originally published July 23, 2022 at 5:00 AM with the headline "How do you vote early in Kansas? What to know for the primary election in KCK, JoCo."
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