ACLU of Kansas Calls on Johnson County Election Office to Restore Early Voting Locations

Many of the eight removed locations disproportionately served the county's low-income voters and voters of color

June 4, 2026 4:30 pm

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 4, 2026

CONTACT
Esmie Tseng, [email protected]

Johnson County, KS – The ACLU of Kansas is calling on Johnson County Election Commissioner Connie Schmidt to reverse her decision that reduced the number of early voting locations in the county from 18 to 12 by removing eight and adding two new locations.

“For many voters, especially those working multiple jobs, who rely on public transportation, or who have care-giving responsibilities — early voting is not just about convenience but is actually the only way they get to cast a ballot at all,” said Micah Kubic, Executive Director for the ACLU of Kansas. “We commend Commissioner Schmidt for the steps she has taken in the past to assist voters in other ways, such as providing translated voting materials, but her choice to close early voting locations that have long served our neighborhoods with larger numbers of low-income voters, voters of color, and elderly voters means that these voters will now deal with further travel, longer lines at the remaining sites, and less access to vote overall.

“We know from our research that these logistical burdens, paired with the state legislature’s numerous attacks on the right to vote, are the kinds of barriers that can discourage people from voting. We urge voters to defy these barriers, get registered by the July 14 deadline—and remember that August 4 is a critical election and that their voices should absolutely be heard.”

The organization calls for all of the locations to be reinstated for the 2026 General Election, as outlined last month in a letter to Commissioner Schmidt. Many of the eight removed locations disproportionately served the county's low-income voters, voters of color, and communities with limited transportation access, particularly the Oak Park Library, the Johnson County Community College Midwest Trust Center, the Central Resource Library, and the Olathe Downtown Library. A full list with analysis of the removed locations is here.

Election Protection, the nonpartisan, voter assistance hotline at 866-OUR-VOTE, is already available to voters now and throughout the upcoming election season with any questions or issues registering to vote or voting.

In this and other recent legislative sessions, the Kansas legislature have passed a number of new provisions attacking elections and Kansas voters’ rights from a multitude of directions. As of 2026, Kansas elections will no longer include a three-day mail processing period, and all ballots including mail ballots must be received by 7:00 pm on Election Day to be counted.

Before the 2026 Primary Election, the ACLU of Kansas will also have a forthcoming report on the impact of local county election policies on voters across the state.

This press release can be found online here.


# # #

About the ACLU of Kansas: The ACLU of Kansas is the statewide affiliate of the national American Civil Liberties Union. The ACLU of Kansas is dedicated to preserving and advancing the civil rights and legal freedoms guaranteed by the United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights. For more information, visit our website at www.aclukansas.org.

# # #