Johnson County’s election office phone number might be wrong on your mail-in ballot application

While trying to submit an application for an advanced mail-in ballot, Johnson County resident Alex Migliazzo was confused. He downloaded the application from the Kansas secretary of state’s website and was trying to figure out the best way to send the finished application back.

The application instructs voters to send the application back “to the Kansas Secretary of State.” However, Migliazzo didn’t see an address listed on the application to send it back to the state office.

On the second page of the application, there are addresses and phone numbers for each county election office. Voters are supposed to send their ballot application back to their respective county election office, but Migliazzo wasn’t sure given the instructions at the top.

When he tried calling the phone number listed for Johnson County to ask about where to send his ballot application, the number was disconnected.

“I think this is quite disturbing given the importance of voting in our county, and country,” Migliazzo told The Star in an email.

The Star has confirmed that the phone number for the Johnson County Election Office on the Kansas secretary of state’s advance ballot application is out of service.

What’s the correct number for Johnson County’s election office?

After searching online, Migliazzo found the correct number for Johnson County’s election office: 913-715-6800.

Johnson County election officials told The Star they were not aware of the mistake because the document Migliazzo downloaded was from the Kansas secretary of state’s office, not directly from the county.

Kansas residents can apply for an advance ballot from their local county or from the state.

The secretary of state’s office has been notified about the mishap and is working to fix the number.

“Yes, we were just recently made aware of that,” said Bryan Caskey, Kansas state election director. “We’re in the process of updating the form.”

The contact information for other major counties like Wyandotte and Sedgwick are correct on the state’s form. Caskey said once the number for Johnson County is corrected, the application will be fully up to date. Caskey’s team updates the election forms on an as needed basis and said that they are updated regularly.

How to vote early in Johnson County

Johnson County has its own form for the same application, which can be found here. The information on the county’s application for a mail-in ballot is correct. To be clear, both of these applications are for the same ballot, and both are valid. They are just handled and distributed by two separate entities.

Advance ballots began to be mailed out this week, and in-person, early voting started in some Kansas counties on July 13. Kansas voters have until July 26 to request a mail-in ballot.

Migliazzo was able to get in touch with the Johnson County Election Office, but he said the disconnected number was concerning considering how many people have questions about elections and the election process.

“Let’s make sure the correct information is out there so voters know what they should do,” Migliazzo said.

If you want more information on voting early, in person in Kansas, here’s a guide. And here’s another guide for voting early by mail.

This story was originally published July 15, 2022 at 3:12 PM.