Voter registration deadline is Tuesday
More candidate forums to be held this week
by Mary Rupert
So far, advance voting applications have been disappointing for the Nov. 7 general election, according to Wyandotte County Election Commissioner Bruce Newby.
The election office sent out information about mail-in ballots and had a good response shortly after it went out, but that has tapered off, he said.
Registered voters may choose whether to vote in person Nov. 7 on Election Day, or in advance at the election office and two satellite locations, or by advance mail-in ballots.
There are about 3,974 applications received from voters now for mail-in ballots here, he said. That includes about 1,200 permanent advance voters who automatically get a ballot and others who contact the election office for one.
The Nov. 7 election will include candidates for mayor, Unified Government Commission, sheriff, Board of Public Utilities, Kansas City Kansas Community College Board of Trustees, local school boards, Bonner Springs and Edwardsville. The UG mayor’s contest, between incumbent Mayor Mark Holland and challenger David Alvey, has attracted the most attention so far.
Advance voting in person will start on Oct. 28 at the election office at 850 State Ave., Eisenhower Recreation Center, 2901 N. 72nd St., and Argentine Community Center, 2810 Metropolitan Ave.
Newby said he expected more people to sign up for mail-in ballots, but he is “waiting for the enthusiasm to catch on.”
“In a low turnout election, it’s anybody’s game,” Newby said. He has seen some low turnout elections where incumbents did well, and others where challengers won, he said.
There isn’t a specific reason why the numbers are low for mail-in ballots, but he said traditionally the municipal and school board elections have had low turnout. Sometimes voters don’t know who is running for office, he said, and candidates need to do a better job of educating them. He hopes enthusiasm will pick up closer to the election.
Newby said he was pleasantly surprised during the primary election this year, when more people voted than he expected, based on past statistics. If the general election follows the same path, there could be a good turnout, he added.
Previously, municipal elections were held in the spring, with the primary in February. There is more of a chance of good weather now than in February and March, which is one of the reasons the Legislature moved the date of city elections to the fall, he said.
Voter registration deadline is Tuesday
Voter registration deadline for this election is Tuesday, Oct. 17, at the end of the day. Newby said those who walk in to register to vote at the election office at 850 State Ave. will have until 5 p.m. Oct. 17 to register.
Those who are registering online and at the libraries may see different closing hours, he added. Online registration may continue until midnight Tuesday.
More candidate forums to be held this week
Voters will have another chance to meet the candidates at public forums to be held this week.
The forums include:
• Tuesday, Oct. 17, from 6 to 9 p.m., Upper Jewell building, Kansas City Kansas Community College, 7250 State Ave. Candidates are invited for mayor, sheriff, Unified Government Commission and Board of Public Utilities. The forum is sponsored by Business West, neighborhood and business organizations with KCKCC.
• Wednesday, Oct. 18, from 6 to 9 p.m., Upper Jewell building, Kansas City Kansas Community College, 7250 State Ave. Candidates are invited for KCKCC Board of Trustees and Kansas City, Kansas, Board of Education. The forum is sponsored by Business West, neighborhood and business organizations with KCKCC.
• Friday, Oct. 20, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., Blessed Sacrament Family Center gym, 2215 Parallel Ave. Candidates were invited for mayor, sheriff, UG Commission, District 1, BPU at large District 1, and Kansas City, Kansas, Board of Education. The forum is sponsored by Unity with Purpose and Forum Partners, including the NAACP.
Advance voting schedule
Advance voting in person is taking place at the Election Office, 850 State Ave., open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28 and Nov. 4; closed on Sunday, Oct. 29; open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, Oct. 30 to Nov. 3; closed Sunday, Nov. 5; and open from 8 a.m. to noon Monday, Nov. 6.
The satellite voting centers at Eisenhower Recreation and Argentine Community centers will be open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28; closed Sunday, Oct. 29; open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, Oct. 30 through Nov. 3; open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 4; and closed Sunday, Nov. 5.
For more information on satellite voting, see http://wycovotes.org/where-do-i-vote/.
A list of candidates appearing on the ballot is at https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56606b47e4b0b9403ad6ff96/t/59ba86e9d7bdcee112c01f1d/1505396457468/Candidate+on+the+General+Election+Ballot+110717.pdf
More information about the election is at the Wyandotte County Election Office website, http://www.wycovotes.org/, or voters may call 913-573-8500.
At that website, there also is a link to check to see if voters are registered.