As of Monday, 85 percent of mail ballots had been returned to the Election Office, according to Wyandotte County Election Commissioner Bruce Newby.
Total votes cast were 36,385 as of Monday, according to Newby. That includes 20,105 mail ballots and 16,280 ballots cast in person at three early voting locations.
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3, and polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. in Wyandotte County. Registered voters who have not voted yet should go to their assigned polling places and should bring an approved ID, such as a driver’s license or passport.
Mike Taylor, a Unified Government spokesman, said today that there has been a really great turnout in the election so far.
He said the election commissioner thinks that the highest voter turnout in recent years was in the 2008 presidential election, with about 65 percent, and this election may meet or exceed that. They may be on track to set a record, he said.
Kansas law allows any mail ballots still at home to be postmarked on Nov. 3, before 7 p.m., and arrive by Friday at the Election Office to be counted, he said. Voters also can use a ballot drop box by 7 p.m. Tuesday or drive the mail-in ballot to any Wyandotte County polling place while polls are open.
“At this point, I would use a drop box,” Taylor said. He encouraged people to put them in one of the five ballot drop box locations in Wyandotte County before 7 p.m. Tuesday. Those mail ballots also can be filled out and taken to any Wyandotte County polling place or the Election Office before 7 p.m. Tuesday.
If a person received an advance ballot in the mail and they show up in person to vote, unless they return the advance ballot to the polling place, they will be given a provisional ballot, Taylor said.. That is a safety check to make sure people don’t vote twice, he said.
There has been some discussion recently about whether guns can be taken into polling places. Guns should not be carried openly at the polls, and voter intimidation is against the law.
Taylor said, however, if a person has a concealed carry permit, he or she may go into a polling place with their gun concealed, unless the building where voting is held has posted a sign that says guns are not allowed.
Electioneering also is against the law, and no signs, clothes with political messages or campaign advocacy is allowed within 250 feet of the polls.
Early voting closed at noon Monday at the Election Office.
The voting totals for the three satellite early voting centers as of Monday: Election Office, 5,774; Amayo-Argentine Community Center, 3,151; and Eisenhower Recreation Center, 7,355.
The locations of the six mail ballot drop boxes: two drop boxes at the Election Office, 850 State Ave.; one each at Kansas City, Kansas, City Hall, 701 N. 7th St.; at the West Wyandotte Library, 1737 N. 82nd St.; at Bonner Springs City Library, 201 N. Nettleton Ave., Bonner Springs; and at Edwardsville City Hall, 690 S. 4th St., Edwardsville.
A voters’ guide is at http://wyandottedaily.com/voters-guide-for-the-2020-general-election/.
Candidate forums for the Kansas House and Kansas Senate seats in Wyandotte County, through KCKCC and Business West, are available for viewing on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMfeRPiOepX1DVWc9Tz2RISP4a-Hmxnpq.
For more information on voting on Election Day, the Wyandotte County Election Office at 850 State Ave., Kansas City, Kansas, has more information about voting questions at wycovotes.org, or email election@wycokck.org, or call the Election Office at 913-573-8500.
For locations of polling places on Election Day, see https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56606b47e4b0b9403ad6ff96/t/5f6b7c25dc536f0db2aa6dbe/1600879653285/Poll+Locations+-+November+3%2C+2020+General+Election+-+Alpha+Listing.pdf.
Ballot-tracking and how to find a polling place: The Voter View website can tell voters if they are registered, where their specific polling place is, and what is on their ballot. It will also tell voters will tell voters if their ballots have been sent to them, and if the ballot has been received by the office. Voter View is at https://myvoteinfo.voteks.org/VoterView.
If you believe there has been an election violation, you can file a complaint online on the Kansas secretary of state’s website at https://www.sos.ks.gov/forms/elections/complaintform.pdf.
Jared Maag, a federal prosecutor, will be available to the public to respond to complaints of possible election fraud or voting rights violations in Kansas at 785-295-2858 while the polls are open on Nov. 3.
The ACLU of Kansas is encouraging voters to track their ballots and call the Election Protection Hotline at 866-OUR VOTE if they encounter any difficulties or see any irregularities.
For information about bus rides to the polls, visit https://ridekc.org/blog/voting-options.
Earlier stories about the election are at http://wyandottedaily.com/category/election-2020/.
