ACLU of Kansas announces record number of volunteers trained for Election Protection in the August 2026 Primary

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 30, 2026

CONTACT
Esmie Tseng, [email protected]

KANSAS — As early voting continues leading up to the August 4 primary election, the ACLU of Kansas is announcing a record number of volunteers trained for its nonpartisan, voter assistance Election Protection program.

The ACLU of Kansas coordinates the nationally available program for Kansas, staffing the hotline at 866-OUR-VOTE and training and deploying volunteer poll observers to provide voter assistance or respond to issues at polling locations across the state.

“Local election officials are working to administer the smooth and careful process of our elections and may not have the capacity to provide the answers to individual questions that a voter can get by dialing 866-OUR-VOTE,” said Laura O’Reilly, Senior Staff Attorney for the ACLU of Kansas. “Election Protection fills that gap. We are here to support all voters and to work with election officials as needed.”

“Kansans know what’s at stake this election, and they’re voting and showing up to ensure their neighbors’ voices can be heard,” said Micah Kubic, Executive Director of the ACLU of Kansas. “Outside of the noise of the political campaigns, the debates, and the party conflicts, democracy is about our community and who gets a seat at the table. Kansans want to help one another take their seats and exercise their right to vote – and Election Protection will support that for the eighth year in the state.”

For the upcoming 2026 primary election on August 4, nearly 200 volunteers will be trained and assigned to polling locations across the state. In August 2024, the program trained 55 volunteers, who provided assistance in 15 counties. In the 2022 August primary, the program deployed about 70 volunteers, and hotline volunteers in Sedgwick County were critical in swiftly reporting when voters were wrongfully turned away from a polling location in Maize and redirected to another location, before polls had closed. The ACLU of Kansas contacted the Sedgwick County Election Office, ensuring that affected voters were able to vote provisionally and thus resolving the matter quickly, collaboratively, and without litigation.

In the 2026 election season, the hotline has already received calls from Kansas voters throughout the past month, with a marked increase this past week. Voters have had questions about a range of issues, including about mail-in ballots and polling locations.

2026 is the first election that a new law, passed in the 2025 legislative session, removing the three-day mail processing period, or “grace period,” was set to take effect. However, as of July 16, a temporary injunction is in place restoring the three-day mail processing period for the receipt of ballots post-marked by Election Day. Given the possibility of additional court decisions impacting this, the ACLU of Kansas continues to encourage voters to exercise caution and consider ensuring all advanced ballots are submitted by 7 p.m. on Election Day.

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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.