Voters reminded to complete and return advance ballots

Gov. Laura Kelly and The Voter Turnout Project of the Kansas Hispanic and Latino American Affairs Commission (KHLAAC) urge all voters who requested advance ballots by mail to vote with their mailed ballots.

“As a reminder to those who have requested advance ballots—make sure you use the ballot that was mailed to you, rather than going to a polling site and receiving a provisional ballot,” Gov. Laura Kelly said. “If you already requested a ballot to be sent to you, wait for it to arrive, then mail it back, or drop it at your county election office or local ballot drop box.”

Voters who requested an advance by mail ballot but choose to cast their ballot in person will be given a provisional ballot to ensure they only vote once. Provisional ballots are not counted until following the election—during the county canvass.

“Due to the pandemic and increased participation in voting, many voters are trying to understand what voting options they have if they have requested a ballot by mail,” Aude Negrete, executive director of the KHLAAC, said,” If a voter has requested a ballot by mail, they should complete the ballot that was mailed to them and then return it to the election office. If they choose to vote in-person, they will have to cast a provisional ballot that won’t be counted until after the election. Many counties have set up drop boxes that voters may use to return their ballot if they opt to return it in person instead of mailing it back.”

If a voter is unsure as to if they have requested a ballot, they can find that information on the Secretary of State website at https://myvoteinfo.voteks.org/VoterView.

The Latino Voter Turnout project of the Kansas Hispanic and Latino American Affairs Commission (KHLAAC) is a collaboration of with over 20 Kansas Latino agencies to increase voter engagement in the community. More information about KHLAAC’s efforts visit: https://khlaac.ks.gov/voto-latino

In Wyandotte County thousands of advance ballots were mailed to voters, and may be returned by mail; at ballot drop boxes; or at any advance voting sites while they are open; at the Election Office; and on Election Day at any polling place in Wyandotte County. There are two drop boxes at the Election Office at 850 State Ave. The locations of the additional drop boxes include the Bonner Springs City Library, 201 N. Nettleton Ave., Bonner Springs; Edwardsville City Hall, 690 S. 4th St., Edwardsville; Kansas City, Kansas, City Hall, 701 N. 7th; and the West Wyandotte Library, 1737 N. 82nd St., Kansas City, Kansas.