On Aug. 26, Johnson County voters to celebrate those who “almost voted”

On the anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment and days before the anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington, many voters still need places to vote

CONTACT: Esmie Tseng, ACLU of Kansas, [email protected]

WHAT:
Following findings from the August primary, Johnson County voters will commemorate the anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment and the August 28th anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington by recognizing the likely many unknown voters who “almost voted”— but who were prevented from doing so at previously reliable advance voting locations removed by recent election administration decisions. The event will call on Election Commissioner Connie Schmidt to reopen the eight advance voting locations she closed just before the August primary.

Spokespeople will be available for onsite interviews post-hearing. Raw video footage from the event also available upon request.

WHEN: Wednesday, August 26, 4 p.m.

WHERE: Public sidewalk in front of the Johnson County Election Office at 2101 E Kansas City Rd, Olathe, KS 66061

BACKGROUND: Just two months before this year’s primary election in August, the Johnson County Election Office made a last-minute decision to trade eight locations in some of the county’s most densely populated areas for two new ones in sparsely populated areas, dropping the total down to just 12. This came despite the Office’s request for additional funds for an “expansion in early voting locations” in its 2026 budget proposal.

In the 2022 General Election, there were 16 early voting locations available in Johnson County, and nearly 114,000 early votes were cast. By the 2024 General Election, the county had expanded to 18 early voting locations, and more than 209,000 voters cast their ballot early.

The removed eight locations are also in the county’s predominantly low-income areas and areas densely populated by people of color without any reasonable alternatives. The early votes cast at these eight locations accounted for 19% of all Johnson County early votes in the 2025 General Election, but the two new locations in sparsely populated De Soto and Spring Hill accounted for just 1% of total early votes in the recent 2026 August primary election. This year’s primary election also saw a decrease of nearly 30,000 early in-person votes, with the 2022 Primary Election bringing in 98,751, and only 68,299 in 2026. Overall turnout experienced a downward trend from the 2022 primary, from 56.30% to an unofficial turnout of about 37% in 2026, a decline of almost 20%.

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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.