In anticipation of greater voter turnout for the Nov. 6 general election, the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Kansas will lead a more robust, statewide, Election Protection Hotline effort to safeguard the voting process.
The nonpartisan project, in partnership with the Kansas City law firm Stinson Leonard Street, LLC, will feature nearly 30 lawyers providing assistance for citizens encountering difficulty voting — nearly double the number on hand during the August primary.
“Voting is one of the most important things we do as citizens, and we want to make sure that all eligible voters get to exercise this sacred right,” ACLU of Kansas Executive Director Micah Kubic said. “Citizens actually participating makes our democracy stronger.”
The Election Protection Hotline is more relevant than ever. Kansas voters likely will need some clarity following confusion last summer regarding provisional ballots and mail-in ballots.
The hotline fielded more than 100 calls during August’s primary, and virtually all of them were resolved.
Hotline callers can ask voting-related questions or report problems encountered while attempting to vote. Hotline lawyers will help voters with questions and assist election officials in resolving issues. Calls are logged in a database, tracked for trends, and followed up when necessary.
The hotlines are nonpartisan and all voters are encouraged to call the hotlines.
Hotlines
• 866-OUR-VOTE provides assistance in English – administered by the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law;
• 888-VE-Y-VOTA provides bilingual assistance in English and Spanish – administered by NALEO Educational Fund;
• 888-API-VOTE provides assistance in Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, Begali, Hindi, Urdu and Tagalog – administered by APIA Vote and Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC).
Hotline calls will be answered live on Nov. 6, 2018. After-hours calls are directed to voicemail and promptly returned.
The Fairfax Industrial Association will meet for a luncheon at 11:15 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 8, at the Blue Hat Crane, 240 S. 65th St., Kansas City, Kansas.
The program will be presented by Larry Diehl, local historian, on Kansas City development and its railroad history.
The cost of the luncheon is $25. Registration is due by 3 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 6, to https://fiakck.org/product/november-2108-luncheon-fee/.
Peter Vermes
Sporting Kansas City manager Peter Vermes is one of three finalists for MLS coach of the year, Major League Soccer announced today.
Vermes, who was previously an MLS coach of the year finalist in 2011 and 2012, is up for the annual award alongside Gerardo “Tata” Martino of Atlanta United FC and Bob Bradley of LAFC.
Sporting KC went a combined 3-0-0 against Atlanta and LAFC this season with six goals scored and just one allowed from the penalty spot, also shutting out both teams in their home venues.
The 2018 MLS coach of the year recipient will be announced at a later date.
Now in his 10th year as manager, Vermes has guided Sporting KC to a first-place finish in the Western Conference and overseen one of the best regular seasons in club history. The 2018 campaign saw Sporting KC set team records in goals (65), assists (69), goal differential (+25) and shots (583) while amassing 18 wins and 62 points, both of which are second-most for the club all-time.
As the league’s longest tenured manager, Vermes leads all active MLS coaches with eight straight playoff appearances. Over the course of 2018, he has employed an attractive and effective style of play with Sporting KC ranking high in each of these categories:
• 1st in shots per game (17.2)
• 2nd in shutouts (13)
• 2nd in possession (57.1 percent)
• 2nd in passing accuracy (83.8 percent)
• 3rd in goal differential (+25)
• 3rd in defense (1.18 goals allowed per game)
• 4th in offense (1.91 goals scored per game)
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Vermes also thrived as an in-game manager-Sporting KC led MLS with 12 goals from substitutes, the most in club regular season history-and facilitated the breakthroughs of four homegrown players.
Forward Daniel Salloi leads the team with 11 league goals and 13 in all competitions, while 20-year-old Wan Kuzain Wan Kamal, 18-year-old Jaylin Lindsey and 16-year-old Gianluca Busio have each made notable impacts with the first team.
Vermes, who signed a contract extension through the 2023 season in May, navigated his side to the top of the West despite multiple injuries to key players. Starters Khiry Shelton and Felipe Gutierrez both missed two months of action, Jimmy Medranda and Cristian Lobato suffered season-ending injuries, and defenders Matt Besler, Ike Opara and Seth Sinovic were all sidelined for short spells in 2018.
As the No. 1 seed in the West, Sporting has earned a Knockout Round bye to the two-legged Western Conference Semifinals of the Audi 2018 MLS Cup Playoffs. Vermes’ side will play away in the first leg this Sunday and then play host in the decisive second leg on Sunday, Nov. 11. Tickets for that match – the first playoff tilt to be played at Children’s Mercy Park since the 2013 MLS Cup – are now available via SeatGeek.com.
In the conference semifinals, Sporting KC will face the lowest-seeded team to advance from the Knockout Round, with No. 4 FC Dallas as host to No. 5 Portland Timbers tonight at 8:30 p.m. and No. 3 LAFC as host to No. 6 Real Salt Lake at 9:30 p.m. Thursday.
m>- Story from Sporting KC
