Post last updated at 4:15 p.m. Thursday, July 28:

Douglas County voters should have received, or should receive soon, updated voter registration cards.

Douglas County Clerk Jamie Shew and staff have been checking and re-checking to ensure that the county’s new precinct boundaries align with redistricted maps.

The time to register to vote is now if you haven’t already. Tuesday, July 12 is the last chance to register to vote ahead of the Aug. 2 election.

Jump to: 
What’s on the ballot? 
How can I vote?

How can I register to vote?

If you’re a U.S. citizen and a resident of Kansas who is or will be at least 18 years old on or before Aug. 2, 2022, you can register.

If you have a felony conviction in your background, you may register to vote once you have completed your sentence, including post-release. If you have pending felony charges but have not been convicted, you are presumed not guilty and you may register to vote, even if you’re in custody.

Kansans can register to vote, double-check their voter registration and/or request a mail ballot online via KSVotes.org. You can sign electronically, and there are no forms to print and mail.

Douglas County voters may also register by visiting this link, printing a voter registration application and mailing or delivering it to the Douglas County Election Office at 711 W. 23rd St., or fax or email the form back by following the instructions on the county’s website.

For questions about voting rights, check this guide from the ACLU of Kansas.

What’s on the ballot?

All registered Kansas voters can check which districts they’re in and see sample ballots by inputting their name and date of birth at this link on the Secretary of State’s website.

For voters who declare themselves Democrats or Republicans, there are some races that will determine which candidates advance to the Nov. 8 general election.

But every Kansas voter, whether they are affiliated with a party or not, may vote in this election. That means Republicans, Democrats, Libertarians, unaffiliated voters and independent voters may vote, even though primaries are usually only for the two big parties. Why?

Constitutional amendment

Currently, Kansans have a constitutionally protected right to abortion. But an amendment on the Aug. 2 ballot, which proponents have labeled “Value them Both”, would take that right away and allow Kansas politicians to ban abortion.

Despite the language of the amendment, a ban could apply even in situations of rape or incest, or if a pregnancy is life-threatening. In the most recent session, Kansas legislators already tried to pass a ban that would also criminalize abortion providers and patients.

Here’s what the unaffiliated ballot looks like. The exact language that appears on the ballot has raised concerns for many because it implies that abortion is not currently regulated in Kansas, which is false, and that state funding is used for abortion, which is also false.

GetSampleBallotImage

Partisan offices

There are several statewide candidate races that will also be on partisan ballots. That list is in the dropdown menu below.

In addition, Democratic candidates for Douglas County Commission District 1 will face off in the primary to determine who advances to the general election.

Precinct committeepeople are also elected during the Aug. 2 primary. See who has filed for your Douglas County precinct at this link. There are a number of township offices on Douglas County ballots, also. See those lists at this link.

How can I vote?

All registered voters in Kansas may vote in the Aug. 2 election.

Vote at your own pace:

The voter registration deadline is Tuesday, July 12. Advance voting begins Wednesday, July 13.

Kansas voters can request a mail ballot online via KSVotes.org. You can sign electronically, and there are no forms to print and mail.

Douglas County voters may also follow these instructions on the county’s website to fill out an application to request a mail ballot.

You may request that a ballot be mailed to you at a different address from the one at which you’re registered to vote.

Ballots can be mailed back or dropped in a drop box outside the Douglas County Courthouse, 1100 Massachusetts St.; at the county elections office at 23rd and Louisiana; at Eudora, Lecompton and Baldwin city halls; at the Golf Course Superintendents Building or at Flory Meeting Hall.

Douglas County does not require a stamp to mail your ballot back.

The last day to request an advance ballot is July 26.

Vote early in person:

In-person early voting begins Wednesday, July 13. You will need to bring a state-issued ID (such as a driver’s license) to vote in person.

Poll hours and locations:

• 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays beginning Wednesday, July 13, through Friday, July 29 at the Douglas County Elections Office, 711 W. 23rd St., Suite 1, in Lawrence (click here for a Google map)

• 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, July 23 at the elections office in Lawrence

• 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, July 30 at the elections office in Lawrence and at Lecompton City Hall, Eudora City Hall, or the Baldwin City Fire Station

• 8 a.m. to noon Monday, Aug. 1: Last chance to vote early at the elections office before polls reopen for Election Day

Vote on Election Day:

Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 2. As long as you are in line to vote by 7 p.m., you will be given the opportunity to vote.

You will need to bring a state-issued ID (such as a driver’s license) to vote in person.

All registered Kansas voters can check which districts they’re in, see sample ballots and find their assigned polling places by inputting their name and date of birth at this link on the Secretary of State’s website.

More Douglas County voting information — including ways to look up your polling place or help someone else find theirs — is available at this link.

Countdown to Aug. 2

This countdown will be in the sidebar of every page of our website to remind you to get to the polls or get your ballots turned in. (The sidebar shows up at the bottom of the webpage on mobile devices.)

There will be another opportunity to register to vote before the Nov. 8 general election.

More coverage: August 2 Election

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