While ballot drop boxes have always been an available option for Kansas counties in an election year, the presence of the COVID-19 pandemic — combined with an anticipated increase in Kansans wanting to vote by mail early and avoid voting in person — prompted the secretary of state’s office to offer to pay for up to two ballot drop-off boxes in each of the state’s 105 counties. More by Celisa Calacal. Counties will have several safeguards in place to protect the drop-off boxes and the ballots inside them. And taking that ballot back in person to a drop box or to a local elections office.”, Celisa Calacal is the assistant editor at The Beacon. Follow her on Twitter or email her at celisa@thebeacon.media.Â. Douglas County also purchased additional ballot drop boxes itself and will have 11 available for the general election, compared with only one in 2016. Our stories are free to republish in accordance with these guidelines. Postal Service to handle a large quantity of mailed ballots and deliver them before the state’s cutoff deadline, particularly at a time when the agency has been marred by funding woes and slowdowns in mail delivery. | Paid for by the Douglas County Democratic Party, Mike Wasikowski Treasurer. Nearby Douglas County has 10 in place and two more in reserve. For the general election, the Kansas secretary of state’s office in August ordered 180 ballot drop boxes for counties that wanted them. Douglas County also purchased additional ballot drop boxes itself and will have 11 available for the general election, compared with only one in 2016. If you do require assistance, an "Affidavit of Assistance in the County of Douglas, State of Kansas " must be completed and you will find it printed on the back of the return envelope. These drop boxes are available during the period of early voting (35 days prior to each statewide primary and general election, 22 days prior to an all-mail special election, and 15 days prior to a polling place special election). Douglas County Park and Trails Division, 9651 S. Quebec Street, 80130 (Walk-up location) Redstone Park, 3270 Redstone Park Circle, 80129 (Walk-up location) (ballot drop box is located on the northeast corner of the Service Center Main Entrance.) Johnson County requested seven drop boxes; Wabaunsee County requested three.Â, “The more options that you’re going to give people to get those ballots back, the better, especially when you don’t want people to be congregating in the same places,” said Patrick Miller, a politics professor at the University of Kansas.Â, “If you have, particularly, those larger counties, the more populous counties, where you have thousands or even tens of thousands of people who will be receiving a mail ballot, then having more options and easier options for them to get that ballot back, to me, is important.”, The announced expansion of the drop boxes followed the state’s Aug. 4 primary election, where 315,079 requests were filed for a mail ballot ahead of the primaries and 261,182 of those were returned to a local election authority, according to data from the Kansas secretary of state’s office.Â, Still, 1,495 mail-in ballots were received after the state’s postmark and delivery deadline, meaning they were rejected and did not count toward the total vote tally.Â. Locate your convenient ballot drop box. The Beacon’s Election Spotlight is a texting group connecting readers like you to a Beacon reporter. In Douglas County, home to the University of Kansas, over 28,000 mail-in ballots have been requested so far. Two keys must be used to open the box and access the ballots. The rest will be spread around Lawrence, but none on the KU campus.Â, There will be eight total drop boxes in Johnson County, the state’s most populous county. The deadline to request a mail-in ballot in Kansas is Tuesday, Oct. 27. Out of all 105 counties, 12 opted out entirely, 79 counties requested two boxes and 12 counties requested just one drop box. For the November 3, 2020 general election in Kansas: All registered voters can request an absentee ballot. Our office has now logged 13,600 ballots out of 30,614 sent, that is a 44% return rate and the ballots were first mailed one week from today! In Douglas County, where there are about 80,000 registered voters, election officials purchased eight drop boxes and received two from the secretary of state, for a total of 10 throughout the county. The Douglas County Clerk serves as the County's Election Officer with the responsibility for the planning and operation of all elections held in the county (as required by Kansas Statutes and Administrative regulations), and maintains all records relating to such elections. Be the first to read articles, hear about events and get updates on our newsroom. Nearby Douglas County has 10 in place and two more in reserve. Schmidt said every ballot drop box will be bolted to the ground and monitored by 24-hour security cameras.Â, Ballots from the drop boxes in Johnson County will be collected by two teams, each comprising one Democratic election worker and one Republican election worker — one team will collect ballots from the northern half of the county, and a second will monitor the southern portion. Follow her on Twitter @celisa_mia or email her at celisa@thebeacon.media. “Since they are going to get a ballot mailed to them, the only way we can process it is through a provisional ballot. Vote early and display the “I Voted” sticker included with your Douglas County mail ballot to show off your civic pride and … Ballot drop box locations: • Douglas County Courthouse, south parking lot, 1100 Massachusetts St. • Douglas County Human Services Building, 2518... Jump to Sections of this page Deadline to return early voting ballot to election commission office or drop box location, 8:00 p.m. Thursday, April 15, 2021. Two boxes will be drive-ups, and the other 12 will be walk-ups. Frances Sheppard, assistant election commissioner of Wyandotte County, said the county doesn’t yet know if it will purchase additional boxes.Â, Disparities in the number of ballot drop boxes available within a given county could mean limitations on where voters return their absentee ballots. Located on the righthand side of the Theatre Lawrence parking lot. The drop box has a “Democrat lock and Republican lock” to keep voting secure, Howell said. “So you have 105 counties, each really making a lot of independent judgment calls.”Â, If a voter who requests a mailed ballot decides to instead vote in person at their local polling place on Election Day, they will have to cast a provisional ballot, which may not ultimately be counted.Â, But Miller from KU advised that voters who do request a mail ballot should follow through with completing and submitting that ballot.Â, “If you ordered a mail ballot, keep the mail ballot and vote the mail ballot,” he said.Â, “Do not vote a provisional ballot. We do not sell or share your information with anyone. The card has the names of the various candidates and ballot measures printed on it. Canvassing is scheduled for November 16. James Nichols, of Roseburg, drops off his ballot at a drop box in the east parking lot of th… As featured on Hand deliver that ballot, says Douglas County Clerk Kansas will begin mailing ballots to voters who requested one beginning Oct. 14. Voting in Douglas County Updated November 9, 2020 Election results will be updated as races are canvassed and finalized. In Sedgwick County, home to over 1.4 million registered voters this election cycle, officials put drop boxes in proximity to well-traveled locations, Schnieders said. Celisa Calacal covers economics and civic engagement issues for The Beacon. 2021 Ballot Box Locations. Located just to the left of the entrance to Baldwin City Hall. Contact your county … Do you have a question about voting? Harvey County placed a secure ballot drop box, provided to the county by the state, at the courthouse and at Newton Fire Station No. Schmidt said the election office has been receiving phone calls from voters concerned about the ability of the U.S. Ballot drop box locations per county: Johnson County: 8; Sedgwick County: 14; Douglas County: 7; Wyandotte County: 2; Early in-person voting locations, dates, and hours per county: Johnson County: 10 locations Early in-person voting begins 10/17; Includes three Saturdays options (10/17, 10/24, 10/31) at all 9 locations from 9 AM – 3 PM. The ballot drop box is located directly in front of the flag pole on the side of the parking lot facing the street. Schmidt said ballots will be collected three times a day and then delivered to the Johnson County Election Office.Â, “That is the safest, most secure method of returning your voted mail ballot, straight back to the election office,” Schmidt said.Â, With Election Day just weeks away, local election authorities must consider where to strategically place their drop-off boxes to ensure they are as accessible as possible to voters in a given county.Â, While the secretary of state’s office offered two drop boxes for each Kansas county, some of the state’s most populous counties purchased more drop boxes using funding from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act.Â, In Douglas County, where there are about 80,000 registered voters, election officials purchased eight drop boxes and received two from the secretary of state, for a total of 10 throughout the county. “So they will have an option: Instead of returning their voted ballot in the mail system, they can take it right straight to us by taking it to a Johnson County Election Office drop box.”Â, Ballot drop boxes are not the only return option for mailed ballots — voters can also drop them off at their local election office, any advanced voting location or any polling location on Election Day.Â, But what makes the ballot drop boxes particularly convenient this year is that it will allow voters to safely submit their ballots while minimizing exposure to crowds or long lines at an election office or polling location. You can also take your completed ballot (including the signed and sealed envelope) to any polling on Election Day. Drop boxes will primarily be located outside local libraries across the county, from DeSoto in the northwest to Spring Hill in the south. That could be an issue for a county like Wyandotte, KU’s Miller said, considering it’s home to a high number of voters of color, particularly Latinx voters.Â. Kansas joins 37 other states and the District of Columbia in increasing the number of ballot drop boxes for this year’s election.Â. 2,390 provisional ballots. City/County Building On Farnam near the sidewalk 1819 Farnam Street, Omaha; South Omaha Library East side parking lot 2808 Q Street, Omaha © 2020 Douglas County Democratic Party. Click here to see results from Douglas County. Since 2012, Douglas County has sent a mailer for advance voting and has seen a “significant drop in our Election Day traffic” each subsequent election, Shew said. Kansas’ … Finding every ballot drop off box in America and advocating their use as a viable 3rd option in this election. The Kansas Democratic Party says in a release that it is alarmed at the lack of ballot drop boxes and advance in-person voting locations designated for Wyandotte County, one of Kansas… Do you have a news tip you think our reporters should look into? According to the secretary of state’s office, 180 total drop boxes were ordered. “You have a great disparity there in terms of potential demand, the population and the issues that come with population, like traffic and how much of a hassle it can be to drive to a box to deposit it,” Miller said of mail-in ballots. Here are some stats of the unofficial numbers: 29,857 mail returned (94% return rate), 13, 937 in-person advance = 43,794 total advance. | Douglas County, Kansas. Almost 400,000 Kansas voters had requested a mail ballot as of Friday, according to data from the Secretary of State’s Office, a figure that is already more than the number sent out in 2018 and 2016 combined. To vote by mail you must complete an Application for Advance Ballot by Mail . You can sign up by entering your number in the form below. 2021 City/School Election Information Primary Election: August 3, 2021 (if required) The deadline to register to vote is July 13th, 2021. The secretary of state’s office recommends that ballot drop boxes be emptied at least once a day by at least two county election officers or sworn, bipartisan election boards. Sedgwick County will utilize 14 ballot drop boxes. In Johnson County, ballot drop boxes will be open to the public from Oct. 17 until 7 p.m. Nov. 3. By signing up for text alerts, you’ll hear directly from our journalists as we report on the election. Sedgwick County will utilize 14 ballot drop boxes. You can download this form or apply online. If you ordered a mail ballot, keep the mail ballot and vote the mail ballot.Â. … So it just gives a really good option for people that may not have another way of getting that ballot back.”. The drop box will … Centralized resource for finding data and information related to elections in Douglas County, Kansas. Located on the left-hand side of the roundabout near the main entrance to the building. There will also be a drop box outside the Johnson County Election Office in Olathe and the northeast county offices in Mission.Â. Douglas County also purchased additional ballot drop boxes itself and will have 11 available for the general election, compared with only one in 2016. “People want options,” Douglas County Clerk Jamie Shew said. We will never spam you. There is no charge and no postage stamp is required to use the secure drop boxes. Wyandotte County voters including Joseph Valdivia Jr., of Kansas City, Kansas, returned his mail-in ballot Friday, Oct. 23, 2020, in a ballot drop box outside the Wyandotte County … At some locations, voters will be able to place their ballots in the drop boxes from their car window.Â, Once Kansas begins mailing out absentee ballots to voters who requested them on Oct. 14, voters can deliver their completed ballot at a drop box at any time of day. The deadline to request a mail-in ballot in Kansas is Oct. 27. The drop box is location in the South West corner of the parking lot. Since 2012, Douglas County has sent a mailer for advance voting and has seen a “significant drop in our Election Day traffic” each subsequent election, Shew said. BallotBox.Info is a group of non-partisans volunteering their time to provide a tool for finding and utilizing Ballot Box voting. That way nobody can vote twice.” Kansas law allows voters to take their mail-in ballots to election drop boxes, to advance voting locations, or to polling sites on Election Day if they do not want put them in the mail. BELLE PLAINE, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas secretary of state’s office has offered each of the state’s 105 counties up to two drop-off boxes where people can deposit their absentee ballots … Local election officials in the state’s most populous counties are now seeing even more requests for mail-in ballots ahead of Election Day, underscoring the need for ballot drop boxes as an alternative, secure option for voters. If you can mark, verify and cast a paper mail-in ballot privately and independently, voting by mail is a healthy option, especially if you can use a drop-off location to return your ballot. Douglas County also purchased additional ballot drop boxes itself and will have 11 available for the general election, compared with only one in 2016. This is a convenient drive through drop off location. free to republish in accordance with these guidelines, Proudly powered by Newspack by Automattic. Want local, revelatory journalism in your inbox? Places that were near bus lines, that was really important to us in case we have voters who may have different transportation needs,” she said.Â, But the availability of drop boxes, and the convenience of accessing them, varies by county. Douglas County makes it easy to return your mail in ballot with multiple convenient Drop Box locations across the county. County Clerk Jamie Shew said one drop box will be in each of the three outlying towns in the county: Baldwin City, Eudora and Lecompton. Open from 8AM to 5PM. PLEASE NOTE: This drop box does not look like all of the other Drop Boxes and says “Payment Drop” on it. To find out what system(s) your county uses, click here.. Optical Scan: With this system, you will receive a card or sheet of paper, which you take over to a private table or booth. We promise not to spam you. Located just to the left of the entrance to Lecompton City Hall. OMAHA, Nebraska -- There are nine drop box locations for voters to send in their absentee ballots in Douglas County. Visit Douglas County’s Election Hub by clicking here.You can register to vote, check your registration status, request mail-in ballots, and more! And that means following all the directions, carefully and precisely. General Election, November 2, 2021 Wyandotte County, for instance, has only two drop boxes, despite being one of the most populous counties in Kansas. 11/06/2020 . During the August primary, 41% of Kansas voters statewide cast a mail-in ballot. In Johnson County, 10 sites were designated for … Since 2012, Douglas County has sent a mailer for advance voting and has seen a “significant drop in our Election Day traffic” each subsequent election, Shew said. In-person advance has had 3,585 voters, so we currently have 17,485 votes cast (21% turnout) with just one week of voting completed. Deadline for agent to pick up early voting ballot, 7:00 p.m. Tuesday, April 6, 2021. Vote your mail ballot, but vote it responsibly. 14,343 election day voters. Douglas County officials are asking voters to request a mail-in form to vote early at home to avoid dealing with the threat of coronavirus. Located just in front of Eudora City Hall. Accessible voting by mail in Kansas. You can drop off your ballot at the Douglas County Early Voting Location behind Texas Roadhouse. The voting systems used in Kansas are optical scan, DRE and paper ballots. The Douglas County Election Commission has established thirteen drop box locations to give voters an opportunity to return their early voting ballots without having to use the mail. The ballots will then be collected by authorized election staffers and delivered to the local election office.Â, It’s an option that may be convenient for voters who work during the day and may not have the ability to visit their election office or an advanced voting location that may be far away.Â, “We do have voters that work different shifts here,” said Melissa Schnieders, deputy election commissioner in Sedgwick County. 58,166 total ballots cast (71% turnout), the highest number of ballots ever cast in Douglas County. See […] Davis Hammet, founder of Loud Light, a statewide organization focused on youth civic participation in Kansas, said the discrepancies are reflective of a larger issue in the state, where some counties offer a bevy of services and options for voters, while others may only offer the bare minimum.Â, “Although we’re making advancements in this area, the likelihood of your vote counting still depends on what county you live in,” Hammet said. At the Douglas County Fairgrounds extension office, the ballot drop box is located on the far side of the parking lot. County Clerk Jamie Shew said one drop box will be in each of the three outlying towns in the county: Baldwin City, Eudora and Lecompton. Douglas County Courthouse, 1100 Massachusetts Street, Lawrence. Wyandotte has just three. “We chose, within the city of Wichita, locations that were close to highly popular voting locations. In Kansas, ballots mailed through USPS must be postmarked by Nov. 3 and received by the local election authority by Nov. 6. “The drop boxes are in response to those concerns by voters,” Schmidt said. So beginning July 29, all the drop boxes will be open,” said Douglas County Elections Commissioner Brian Kruse. In Johnson County, 10 sites were designated for early in-person voting; Sedgwick County has 18; and Douglas County has seven. Ballots must be postmarked by Nov. 3 and received by a voter’s local election authority by Nov. 6 — the Friday following Election Day — to count.Â, As local election officials across the country prepare for a historic influx of mail-in ballots this year, counties in Kansas are providing voters with an additional option for returning such ballots: drop boxes.Â, With just weeks to go until Election Day, Kansans voting by mail will be able to deliver their ballots at designated ballot drop box locations in their county, providing another option to ensure ballots are received on time. This year this option is even more appealing — safe, secure ballot drop boxes are open now through 7 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 3, 2020. Another change from the primary, the election commissioners office is … Johnson County will use eight drop box locations for voters, who can choose their preferred candidates by mail beginning Wednesday. Speaking of those drop boxes, Kansas spent more than $350,000 to help counties buy them, but there’s no statewide database of locations for security reasons. After your application is completed, return it to the Douglas County Clerk’s Office c/o Elections Office 1100 Massachusetts Street, Lawrence, KS 66044 by mail or fax it to them at 785-832-5192 or email it to them at elections@douglascountyks.org. Find which drive-up or walk-up ballot drop box works best for you and deliver your ballot. A red, white and blue ballot drop box is pictured outside the Douglas County Courthouse, 1100 Massachusetts St., on Aug. 4, 2020. At a time when more voters are interested in mail-in voting, ballot drop boxes could prove to be a popular option. Sedgwick County will utilize 14 ballot drop boxes. Deadline for verification of provisional ballots, 8:00 p.m. We have added the last group of advance and uploaded the results. Douglas County Human Services Building 2518 Ridge Court The ballot drop box is located directly in front of the flag pole on the side of the parking lot facing the street. Look for the ballot drop box on the righthand side of the Douglas County Courthouse. 3, 2500 S. Kansas Ave. in Newton. “This is a 24/7 drop-off. Johnson County Election Commissioner Connie Schmidt said the election office has received about 148,000 requests for mail-in ballots for the general election.