A higher than usual primary election turnout was predicted today by Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach.
Kobach’s prediction was 22 percent of all registered Kansas voters will take part in the primary election.
Election Day is Tuesday, Aug. 5, and some voters have already cast ballots through advance voting.
“Of the 1,735,414 Kansans who are registered to vote, I expect approximately 381,790 will cast a ballot in next week’s primary election,” Kobach said. “Around 39,115 advance ballots have already been received.”
Kobach observed that 2008 is the primary election cycle most similar to 2014 in recent times. Turnout was 22.45 percent in 2008. In 2010, the primary turnout was 23.2 percent; in 2010, 25.2 percent; in 2006, 18.1 percent; and in 2004, 30 percent.
The primary election is open to Kansans who are affiliated with the Democratic Party, the Republican Party or no political party when registering to vote. Other parties’ voters do not participate in primary candidate elections. Some select candidates at their party conventions. The Libertarian Party has about .7 percent of the registered voters in Kansas.
Unaffiliated registered voters may vote a Republican or a Democratic ballot on Election Day by first filling out a new registration form at the polling place to affiliate with the major political party of their choice.
The unofficial number of voters affiliated with each recognized political party and no party at the close of voter registration on July 15 in Kansas were 422,184 Democratic; 12,655 Libertarian; 765,342 Republican; and 535,233 unaffiliated.
Election results should be posted on the evening of Aug. 5 at
www.sos.ks.gov and also at www.wycokck.org/election/.