Category: Election 2022

Kansas voting guide: What to know about the 2022 election

Abortion rights, the governor and other important offices are up for a vote this year in Kansas. KCUR assembled a guide to help you navigate the 2022 election, including information on how to vote and what to expect on your ballot.

by Roxie Hammill, KCUR and Kansas News Service

Kansans will be in the national spotlight when they make their choices in the upcoming Aug. 2 primary. Several big questions will be on the ballot, most notably an amendment to the state constitution on abortion, plus some hotly contested party races for U.S. Senate, governor and Congress.

Kansas will actually be the first state in the country to vote on abortion rights since the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling overturning Roe v. Wade. In the August election, voters across the state will be asked whether abortion should be removed as a right from the state constitution as well.

Kansas has a closed primary system, meaning you have to declare yourself a member of a political party if you want to vote on Republican or Democratic ballots, and decide who will qualify for the general election in November. If you’re already affiliated with one party, you can’t switch parties at the polls.

Unaffiliated voters, however, can choose to join a political party at the polls to vote in their primary. Unaffiliated voters may also remain unaffiliated and still vote on ballot questions (like the abortion amendment) and non-partisan races.

KCUR assembled a guide to help you navigate Kansas’ 2022 election, including information on how to vote, and a brief rundown of what to expect on your ballot.

Key dates:

• Deadline to change party affiliation if already registered: July 1, 2022
• Voter registration deadline for primary: July 12, 2022
• Advance voting begins: July 13, 2022
• Last day to apply for advance mail ballot: July 26, 2022
• In-person advance voting ends: Aug. 1, 202
• Deadline for mailed ballot to be postmarked: Aug. 2
• Primary election: Aug. 2, 2022
• Last day for mailed ballots to reach the election office and still be counted: Aug. 5 at 5 p.m.
• Voter registration deadline for general: Oct. 18, 2022
• General election: Nov. 8, 2022

Voter information

Am I registered to vote?

You must be 18 years old by Election Day, a U.S. citizen and a resident of Kansas to be able to vote in the Kansas primary and general elections. However, you can still register if you are currently 17 but will turn 18 by Election Day.

The deadline to register to vote before Kansas’ August primary is July 12, 2022.

If you think you may already be registered but aren’t sure — or need to double check your party association — there’s an easy way to check online through the Kansas Secretary of State’s office. This site will also show you where your polling place is on Election Day.

In order to register to vote, you will be asked to verify a driver’s license or a non-driver’s ID and fill in some personal information. Those without a driver’s license or non-driver ID can ask for a paper form at the online address below.

You’ll also be asked whether you are currently serving a sentence for felony conviction, which includes probation or parole. If so, you are ineligible to vote. Once probation or parole is finished, you are eligible to re-register to vote.

Your completed application should be returned to the county election office, where registration in person is also available.

Here’s where you can can register to vote, or update your registration:
• Online here
• In-person at your nearby election office, city hall or driver’s license location.
•
Spanish language voter registration forms are also available on the Secretary of State’s website.

Can I vote in advance if I’m not able to on Election Day?

Kansas offers several options for no-excuse advance voting, both in person and by mail.

All Kansas voters have the option to vote by mail without submitting a reason. However, a new request for a mail-in ballot must be made for each election. Blank forms are available on the Secretary of State’s website.

Advance by-mail ballots can be requested any time, but Kansas won’t start mailing those out until July 13, 2022. When you mail back in your completed ballot, it must be postmarked on or before Election Day and received by the county no later than the close of business the Friday after the election. Find your county election office here.

Advance mail ballots can also be dropped off in secure drop boxes provided by the county.

Drop box availability and locations will vary by county and from election to election, so the Secretary of State’s office advises voters to check with their county election office for details. (For example, here are the drop boxes in Johnson County and Wyandotte County.)

Once you’ve mailed in your advance ballot, the Secretary of State’s office offers a way to track your ballot and make sure it’s been received and processed correctly.

In-person advance voting works the same way as regular voting, except you do it before Election Day at one of your county’s advance voting sites. You still need to bring appropriate ID and sign the poll book.

Advance voting sites also vary from year to year, and are not the same as your Election Day polling location. Check with your county election office to find where and when they’re open.

How do I vote on Election Day?

Kansas polling places are open from at least 7 a.m.-7 p.m. on Election Day, Aug. 2. Some counties may choose to open polls an hour earlier and keep them open an hour later. If you are in line at the time of closing, you have a right to cast a ballot — stay in line.

Find your polling place and sample ballot at the Secretary of State’s website.

By law, Kansas voting must be accessible to voters of all ages and disabilities. If more than 5% of a county’s voting-age population is from a single-language minority and not able to understand English, alternative printed materials or interpreters must be available.

Five counties meet this requirement: Finney, Ford, Grant, Haskell and Seward.

In addition, each polling place must have at least one machine compliant with the Help America Vote Act to allow voters with disabilities to vote in secret.

Do I need voter ID?

Yes. Photo identification is required in Kansas to vote in person, either in advance or on Election Day. (If you vote by mail, you will be asked to provide proof of acceptable ID when you apply for a ballot).

Kansas accepts the following forms of photo identification:

• Driver’s license or ID card issued by the state of Kansas or another state
• U.S. passport
• U.S. military ID
• ID card issued by a Native American tribe
• Employee badge or ID from a government agency
• Student ID card from an postsecondary Kansas school
• Concealed carry license issued
• Public assistance ID card

If you don’t have your ID at the polling place, you will be given a provisional ballot. That means your vote won’t be included in Election Day totals. You must return to the election office to present your ID before your ballot can be counted during the vote canvass.


Provisional ballots can also be issued if you show up at the wrong polling place or if you voted by mail, but then voted again in person.

Registered Kansas voters can apply for a free, non-driver ID card from the Kansas Division of Motor Vehicles. You can download the form online here, or find it at all driver’s license offices and county election offices.

What am I voting on?

In the August primary, Kansas voters will pick their candidates for a number of major states offices — from governor on down — and weigh in on a major abortion rights ballot issue. The entire Kansas House is also up for reelection this year, so you may see those primaries on the ballot too, along with some contests for the State Board of Education and a number of local races.

Here’s a rundown of constitutional amendments and major primary contests in Kansas. Candidates are listed in alphabetical order, and campaign websites are included where they could be found.

You can request a sample ballot from your county election office. Those are also available online as early as 45 days before the election from the Secretary of State’s office, once the counties submit them, but there have been some delays this year due to redistricting. That link also lists your Congressional, state House and Senate, and local districts.

Abortion amendment

Abortions are currently legal in Kansas. But that may change depending on how Kansas vote on a proposed constitutional amendment appearing on the Aug. 2 ballot.

Passed by the Kansas Legislature, the “Value Them Both Amendment” would change the Kansas Constitution to declare that there is no right to an abortion in the state. After the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v. Wade, there are no longer nationwide protections for abortion access.

The Kansas constitutional amendment would not ban abortions outright. However, it would open the door to state lawmakers to then pass laws restricting abortion access.

Here is a link to the full ballot language. Voting “yes” means you are in favor of removing the right to an abortion from the Kansas Constitution, while voting “no” would reject the amendment and keep existing protections for abortion access.

All voters in Kansas are allowed to vote on the constitutional amendment, whether or not they are affiliated with a political party. A simple majority vote is required for the amendment to be approved.

Read more about the amendment from the Kansas News Service.

U.S. Senate

Jerry Moran, who has represented Kansas in the U.S. Senate since 2011, is running for reelection. With the balance of the U.S. Senate at stake this year, expect a lot of attention on the general election race.

Democrats


• Mike Andra, Wichita
• Paul Buskirk, Lawrence
• Mark Holland, Kansas City, Kansas
• Robert Klingenberg, Salina
• Michael Soetaert, Alta Vista
• Patrick Wiesner, Overland Park

Republicans


• Joan Farr, Derby
• Jerry Moran, Manhattan

U.S. House of Representatives

Members of the U.S. House are reelected every two years, so every representative in Kansas is on the ballot this year. However, not all primaries are competitive.

Another thing to note: Congressional boundaries in Kansas have changed this year, under a redistricting plan passed by the Kansas Legislature and upheld by the state supreme court.


Here’s a rundown of Republicans and Democrats running in the primaries for each U.S. House race.

First District


Democrat


• James “Jimmy” Beard, Garden City
Republican
• Tracey Mann, Salina

Second District


Democrat


• Patrick Schmidt, Topeka


Republican


• Jake LaTurner, Topeka

Third District


Democrats


• Sharice Davids, Shawnee


Republicans


• Amanda Adkins, Overland Park
• John McCaughrean, Kansas City, Kansas

Fourth District


Democrats


• Bob Hernandez, Wichita


Republican


• Ron Estes, Wichita

Governor and Lieutenant Governor


Kansas is the only state won by former President Donald Trump in 2020 that has an incumbent Democratic governor. Now, Gov. Laura Kelly — who took office in 2019 — is facing a tough reelection figh

Democrats


• Richard Karnowski/Barry Franco
• Laura Kelly/David Toland


Republicans


• Arlyn Briggs/Lance Berland
• Derek Schmidt/Katie Sawyer

Secretary of State


Democrats


• Jeanna Repass, Overland Park


Republicans


• Mike Brown, Overland Park
• Scott Schwab, Kansas City

Attorney General


Democrats


• Chris Mann, Lawrence


Republicans


• Kris Kobach, Lecompton
• Tony Mattivi, Topeka
• Kellie Warren, Leawood

State Treasurer

Democrats


• Lynn Rogers, Wichita


Republicans


• Steven Johnson, Assaria
• Caryn Tyson, Parker

The Kansas News Service is a collaboration of KCUR, Kansas Public Radio, KMUW and High Plains Public Radio focused on health, the social determinants of health and their connection to public policy.

Kansas News Service stories and photos may be republished by news media at no cost with proper attribution and a link to ksnewsservice.org.

See more at https://www.kcur.org/politics-elections-and-government/2022-07-07/kansas-election-2022-abortion-voting-guide

Kelly, Schmidt clash over development of $969M Kansas state rainy day reserve fund

Kansas avoids borrowing to cover day-to-day expenses for first time since 1999

by Tim Carpenter, Kansas Reflector

Topeka — The state of Kansas had sufficient cash flow for the first time in more than 20 years to avoid borrowing to cover day-to-day operating expenses while simultaneously building a reserve fund in the just-completed fiscal year with a balance of nearly $1 billion.

The State Finance Council, comprised of the governor and legislative leaders, typically issues certificates of indebtedness for hundreds of millions of dollars to cover for inconsistencies in the flow of tax revenue to the state treasury. The certificates are an IOU the state writes to itself and must be repaid on an annual basis.

Gov. Laura Kelly, a Democrat seeking reelection, said the state closed out the 2022 fiscal year without making use of that borrowing mechanism. It was the first time since 1999 that Kansas lawmakers hadn’t done so, she said.

“When I first came into office, Kansas had no savings, and in fact, was going into debt every year,” said Kelly, who was elected in 2018. “My administration worked to put Kansas on a consistent path of fiscal stability and economic growth.”

As recently as 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the State Finance Council authorized borrowing $900 million from various state funds to cover expenses. In 2016, the State Finance Council approved an identical $900 million certificate of indebtedness when Republican Sam Brownback was governor.

Meanwhile, Kelly said, the 2022 Legislature and governor collaborated on authorization of deposits into the rainy-day fund that grew to $969 million by July 1. The governor signed budget bills that earmarked deposits of $500 million and $250 million into that savings reservoir. Tax revenue to the state continued to exceeded projections, resulting in an end-of-year deposit of $219 million.

The state’s rainy-day account was established in 2017, and the previous high balance was $81.9 million.

Kelly said the state government built strong cash reserves and avoided operational borrowing at the same time it maneuvered to reduce state taxes, invested in higher education and law enforcement, and fully financed public K-12 education.

Attorney General Derek Schmidt, a Republican and frontrunner for the GOP nomination for governor, said Kansas’ treasury was the beneficiary of an outpouring of federal aid. That funding was approved by Congress and Presidents Donald Trump and Joe Biden in response to COVID-19 and to spur economic growth.

“As I have said repeatedly, Kansas — like most other states — is riding a national wave of revenue caused by Joe Biden’s inflation, and that’s nothing to brag about,” Schmidt said.

He said Kansas’ financial condition was influenced by approval in the GOP-led Legislature of investments in the rainy-day fund and the deposit of $1.1 billion in the state’s public employee pension system. He was among politicians who advocated for those allocations of surplus revenue.

“These prudent measures will help stabilize state services for years to come and help make possible my plan to let Kansans retire tax free,” Schmidt said.

Schmidt also said Kansas lagged behind pre-pandemic economic growth projections.

“We need to grow our state, and as governor, I will continue to work closely with the Legislative to ensure a strong fiscal foundation to weather the inevitable storm that will come when the federal largesse wanes,” Schmidt said.

Kansas Reflector stories, www.kansasreflector.com, may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.
See more at https://kansasreflector.com/2022/07/06/kelly-schmidt-clash-over-development-of-969-million-state-rainy-day-reserve-fund/

Judge Griffin runs for re-election

Wyandotte County District Court Judge Wes Griffin is running for re-election to district court judge, Division 16, in the 29th Judicial District, which includes Wyandotte County.

“I am devoted to serving the Wyandotte County community and I will never stop trying to make our court system better for our residents,” Griffin stated.

“Justice is not only about helping those who have been charged with crimes but also about making sure crime victims are heard. I have spent more than 40 years making sure that criminals who put our community at risk are held accountable. Everyone is given an opportunity to be heard and second chances are given to those who deserve it but I always put our community first.”

Griffin is a past prosecutor in the Wyandotte County District Attorney’s office and was legal counsel in the legal department of the city of Kansas City, Kansas.

He was the first full-time Municipal Court judge for Kansas City, Kansas.

In his position as a judge in Wyandotte County juvenile and criminal courts he has presided over 100 trials. Griffin is currently also a judge in the Wyandotte County Drug Court Program.

“I have been a judge in the Wyandotte County Drug Court Program since it started in 2010,” Griffin said. “Drug court is a specialty court where people struggling with addiction who are facing prison time are given help with substance abuse treatment, mental health treatment, housing and employment. One hundred five people have successfully graduated from the program and it has served as the model for other specialty courts in Wyandotte County, such as Behavioral Health Court and Veteran’s Court.”

Griffin is a graduate of Washington High School in Kansas City, Kansas. He attended Kansas City Kansas Community College and Washburn University and earned his juris doctor degree from Washburn University School of Law. He has been married to his wife, Joyce, for 45 years and has three children and four grandchildren. He attends St. Patrick’s Catholic Church.

He has been involved in Piper Optimist Club for over 20 years, working to provide opportunities for youth in Wyandotte County.