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Date: 10/15/2020
Subject: LWVJoCo Update: Advance ballots are coming!
From: LWV of Johnson County



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Advance ballots are on their way! In this issue, learn about the common mistakes voters make, an alternative to returning ballots through USPS and much, much more. 


Election offices began sending advance ballots on Oct. 14

If you requested an advance ballot, start keeping an eye on your mailbox — it could arrive any day. But Johnson County Election Commissioner Connie Schmidt also advises voters to be patient. They have processed requests for more than 100,000 advance ballots. You can check to the status of your application here.
 
Once you have your ballot, be sure to follow the instructions carefully. Include only one ballot per envelope and don't forget to sign the envelope. You can either mail it back (see more on the safety of voting by mail here), or you can drop it off at any of the eight secure, 24-hour ballot boxes, any of the 10 advance in-person voting locations or any polling location in Johnson County on Election Day. You can find ballot box locations here.
 
See below to avoid the common mistakes voters made in the primary!

Souls to the Polls recap

Thank you to the nearly 100 volunteers who made our second Souls to the Polls Car Caravan a huge success. About 80 cars created a literal voter registration drive to cruise through four precincts in Wyandotte county promoting pro-voting messages.
 
See pictures from the event here.
Catch television news coverage of the event here.

ICYMI: Voter protections & election security

Speakers from the Johnson County Election Office, ACLU Kansas and LWVUS offered a slew of updates and useful information in the League's October virtual meeting. Just a few tidbits include:
  • A high volume of mail-in votes are expected this year across the country. While Kansas has the ability to prepare advance ballots so that they can be tallied as soon as the polls close, not every state is in the same position, and election results could take longer. This is not evidence of fraud, but of the volume expected and the need to ensure every vote is counted. (Read a recent blog post by LWV president Virginia Kase on this topic here.)
  • Each voter can only have one live ballot. This means, if you requested an advance ballot, do not vote in person. (If you don't receive your ballot by Election Day, you can vote in person with a provisional ballot. Those are then checked to ensure you did not vote twice.)
  • The ACLU has an election protection hotline: 866-OUR-VOTE (687-8683). Voters can call this hotline with questions or concerns on Election Day.
View the full recording here.

DEIMoment1

Stay engaged

Candidate forum recordings available
The candidate forums for Johnson County District Attorney, Johnson County Board of County Commissioners and Kansas Senate Districts 4, 5, 6 and 10 are all available on the LWVJoCo YouTube channel. These forums are a great resource for helping voters understand candidates' positions on key issues. 
 
Join the ACLU of Kansas for a Know Your Voting Rights Training & Election 2020 Office Hours
This training session covers everything from advanced and mail-in voting to what to do if you encounter and issue at the polls. It will equip you with the knowledge to become a defender of voting rights in your community. These sessions are open to the public. Sign up for any one of the sessions available, and share this opportunity with your friends and community groups on Facebook and Twitter!
 
On the ballot: Kansas State Board of Education 
Voters in Johnson and Wyandotte counties will elect people to represent them on the Kansas State Board of Education on the November ballot. To inform your decision, LWVJoCo has published some helpful FAQs about the board. Read more here.
 

Help us ensure candidates respond to our Vote411.org online voters' guide!

VOTE411.org provides all candidates with an opportunity to answer the most pressing questions in their communities, in their own words. After multiple contacts from League volunteers across the country, some candidates have yet to respond to our questions  which is why we need your help! Learn how you can help encourage candidates to answer questions for voters here.

 

Share pro-voting videos

Looking for ways to share factual, useful voting information? LWV has created several videos in both English and Spanish to help voters find the resources and information they need. Post these videos on your social media pages to help spread the word. 

 

Election office volunteers still needed!

Slots are still open for unaffiliated volunteers to help open envelopes and flatten ballots in four-hour shifts. Morning and afternoon shifts are available Oct. 20 - Nov. 6, including Saturdays. Contact Jan Brunks at jmbrunks@gmail.com to sign up.

Questions or concerns?

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