The deadline to register to vote in the Lawrence city election is Tuesday; here’s what you should know

Tuesday, Oct. 17 is the last day to register in order to vote in the citywide election coming up Nov. 7.

Three out of five Lawrence City Commission seats and five out of seven Lawrence school board seats will be on the ballot.

The people elected to these local offices make some of the decisions that reach closest to home.

For instance, commissioners decide on things such as homelessness programs, affordable housing and the recent safe haven ordinance; school board members vote on things such as student discipline programs; teacher, staff and superintendent pay; district budget cuts; and school closures.

Meet the candidates, read about the stances they’ve shared during a series of forums, and watch or listen to forum recordings at lawrencekstimes.com/election2023.

Get registered

Douglas County voters can register to vote or double-check their voter registration at KSVotes.org. Registration books close at 11:59 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 17.

You can also fill out the registration form at this link, print it out and mail or hand deliver it to the Douglas County Election Office, 711 W. 23rd St., Suite 1, Lawrence, KS 66046 (near 23rd and Louisiana streets).

Learn more about registering to vote in Douglas County at this link.

Kansas voters can double-check their voter registration information and see sample ballots at this link. See below if you have questions about your eligibility to vote.

Cast your ballot

Douglas County voters can also request an advance ballot to vote by mail via KSVotes.org. No stamp is required to return your ballot, but it must be postmarked on or before Election Day, Nov. 7, to be counted.

Ballots will be mailed out beginning Wednesday, Oct. 18. The final day to request a mail ballot is Tuesday, Oct. 31.

In-person early voting also begins Wednesday, Oct. 18. You will need a driver’s license or valid ID to cast your ballot in person.

Voters may cast their ballots in person from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays, Wednesday, Oct. 18 through Friday, Nov. 3, at the county elections office, 711 W. 23rd St., Suite 1 in Lawrence.

Early voting will also be available from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 4, and 8 a.m. to noon Monday, Nov. 6 at the elections office.

Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 7.

Voters will need to report to their assigned polling places to vote on Election Day. Find out where to go by inputting your information or searching for an address at myvoteinfo.voteks.org/voterview.

Voter eligibility

You can register to vote in Kansas if you are a U.S. citizen, a resident of Kansas, and at least 18 years old.

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People who are currently unhoused and need to register to vote “can use the address of any location where you regularly stay including a shelter, house of worship, or park,” according to the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas. 

“Although it is not required, it is best to register at an address where you regularly stay AND can receive mail so that you can receive notifications about polling location changes, respond to inquiries about your residency, and receive notice of any problems with an absentee ballot,” according to the ACLU. People living in Lawrence may use the DARE Center address (944 Kentucky St., Lawrence, KS 66044) for voter registration.

Survivors of domestic violence who are in the Safe at Home program can register through the program and vote by mail: “The Safe at Home program coordinator will request a ballot from your county election officer,” according to the ACLU. “The ballot will be mailed to the program coordinator and then forwarded to you. You will complete the ballot and return to the program coordinator.”

In Kansas, people who have been charged and/or convicted of misdemeanors may vote. People who have been charged but not convicted of felonies retain the right to vote. People who have been convicted of felonies and lost their voting rights but who have completed any sentence and post-release supervision periods may reregister. However, it is a felony to vote if your voting rights are currently revoked. Here’s more info from the Kansas secretary of state’s office.

For people who are incarcerated, “The county where you are incarcerated is your place of residence if you intend to live there for the foreseeable future,” according to the ACLU. “If you have a home in a different county and intend to return there upon your release, that is your place of residence.”

Learn more about voting rights and eligibility from the ACLU’s guide.

Find more information about voting in Douglas County on the county’s website. If you have questions, you can email elections@douglascountyks.org or call 785-832-5267.

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