Kansans: Get registered and get ready to vote

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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?

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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.

What races are on the partisan Aug. 2 ballots?

Douglas County Commission District 1:

Meet the Democratic candidates for Douglas County Commission District 1

Democrats Patrick Kelly (incumbent) and Dustin Stumblingbear will face off in the Aug. 2 election. See the maps and info at this link to see if you’re in District 1.

The winner will advance to face Republican Justin Spiehs and Libertarian Steve Jacob in the Nov. 8 general election.

Governor of Kansas:

The race for governor will be on partisan Aug. 2 ballots. Winning Democratic and Republican teams will advance to face each other and the Libertarian team on Nov. 8.

  • Laura Kelly for governor with David Toland for lieutenant governor, Democratic (incumbent)
  • Richard S. Karnowski for governor with Barry J. Franco for lieutenant governor, Democratic
  • Arlyn Briggs for governor with Lance Berland for lieutenant governor, Republicans
  • Derek Schmidt for governor with Katie Sawyer for lieutenant governor, Republicans

Kansas House:

Here are the districts that include parts of Lawrence and Douglas County, and who has filed to run for those Kansas House seats. Most House candidates in Lawrence-area districts do not face opponents in the primary or the general election, but here are the races that will be on primary ballots on Aug. 2:

District 5: Carrie Barth (R-Baldwin City); Mark Samsel (R-Wellsville, incumbent)

*District 117: Courtney Tripp (D-De Soto, no primary); Bob Parsons (R-Lawrence); and Adam Turk (R-Shawnee). This is a new district that includes parts of Douglas County, mostly southeast of Lawrence, and meanders east to include parts of Eudora, De Soto, Lenexa and Shawnee as well as parts of rural Douglas and Johnson counties.

U.S. Senate:

Meet the candidates vying to represent Kansas in the U.S. Senate

Democratic candidates include Mike Andra, Wichita; Paul Buskirk, Lawrence; Mark Holland, Kansas City; Robert Klingenberg, Salina; Michael Soetart, Alta Vista; and Patrick Wiesner, Overland Park.

Republican candidates include Joan Farr, Derby; and Jerry Moran, Manhattan (incumbent).

Libertarian candidate David C Graham, Overland Park, will run against the winners in the November general election.

Kansas Secretary of State:

  • Mike Brown, Republican
  • Scott J Schawb, Republican

Kansas Attorney General:

  • Kris Kobach, Republican
  • Tony Mattivi, Republican
  • Kellie Warren, Republican

Kansas State Treasurer:

  • Steven Johnson, Republican
  • Caryn Tyson, Republican

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.

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