Kansas Voters Champion Civic Duty, Having Their Voice Heard In Record-Breaking Election

From the Kansas Reflector:

By
Noah Taborda - November 3, 2020

Citing economic, social and health crises, some Kansas voters on Tuesday emphasized the importance of voting and expressing their views through civic action in this record-breaking election.

Early estimates from the Kansas Secretary of State’s office indicated more than 1,350,000 people will vote this year. That would be an increase of more than 100,000 from any previous election. The office also reported a similar increase in the number of registered voters.

Rafael Marin, a Topeka resident, said the turnout shows Kansans understand the importance of this election.

“I try to express this to younger kids and people in my generation that you can sit at home and say what you want, but it’s not going to make a difference,” said Marin, who is 29. “You need to get out and vote. Get a sticker and show me you voted. That is what makes the difference.”

Despite the unprecedented turnout and changes made to ensure compliance with COVID-19 safety precautions, by Tuesday afternoon polling locations across the state had not reported any systematic issues or delays they had not been able to remedy.

Marin, who was among those who cast their ballots on Election Day, said the process was quick, and safety precautions were up to par at the Topeka First United Methodist Church, a polling location near downtown.

“Everything was very clean. They were very formal, organized and professional,” Marin said. “They kept you moving at a smooth pace.”

Gregory Fox, another voter at the same location, called the process “beautiful” and said it took him only five minutes to get in and out.

Katie Koupal, a spokeswoman for the Kansas Secretary of State’s office, said voters were reporting similar experiences at locations across Kansas.

“Things are going very well. We have experienced no systematic issues in the state of Kansas,” Koupal said. “Lines are moving consistently, and voters are turning out very impressive numbers, so right now we are very pleased with how things are going.”

Koupal did note the Secretary of State’s office had received reports of robocalls telling voters to stay home.

While she was unable to provide a specific number of people targeted, Koupal said it was a nationwide issue affecting a “handful” of Kansans.

“Our understanding is it is part of a nationwide robocalls team targeting several hundred area codes,” Koupal said. “Again, we have experienced no systematic or widespread issues in the state of Kansas, but given the nature of these calls, we wanted to make sure that voters were aware.”

Koupal said the office was in communication with federal and state agencies to ensure voters are protected. No delays are expected as a result of the robocalls.

Definitive results may be delayed, however, due to a record number of provisional ballots. State election director Brian Caskey said they were expecting more provisional ballots to be cast this year than in any prior election.

Provisional ballots are certified and counted during the county canvas, which begins a week after Election Day. In an average year, anywhere from 55% to 65% of these ballots end up counting toward results, Caskey said.

“We should see tens of thousands of provisional ballots scattered across the state of Kansas included in the official count next week,” Caskey said. “Just keep that in mind as we see results tonight that we won’t have many by-mail votes and provisional ballots that will be included in the official count.”

The Kansas Reflector seeks to increase people's awareness of how decisions made by elected representatives and other public servants affect our day-to-day lives. We hope to empower and inspire greater participation in democracy throughout Kansas.