Primary features high-stakes races in Kansas, Missouri for spots on November ballot

Tuesday is Primary Election Day for Missouri and Kansas voters, who will decide a number of key contests while putting their states’ election infrastructure to the test during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The AP reported Tuesday morning that several dozen poll workers in both Kansas City and St. Louis still hadn’t shown up to their precincts when polls opened at 6 a.m.

Kansas City Board of Elections Director Lauri Ealom confirmed the absences Tuesday afternoon but said paid substitutes on stand by were quickly deployed to precincts as needed.

Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. in Missouri and 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. in Kansas.

Missouri voters will weigh in on a proposed constitutional amendment that would expand Medicaid for an estimated 300,000 low-income residents. They will also cast votes in the gubernatorial primary.

In the closely watched Kansas Senate contest, U.S. Rep. Roger Marshall and former Secretary of State Kris Kobach are among 11 Republicans competing to succeed retiring Sen. Pat Roberts. Barbara Bollier has emerged as the Democratic frontrunner in a race that could determine which party controls the Senate next year.

First-term Kansas Rep. Sharice Davids has drawn five Republican challengers hoping to reclaim the 3rd District for the GOP.

Kansas 2nd District incumbent Steve Watkins, currently facing felony charges in an illegal voting case, will look to defend his seat against two fellow Republicans, state Treasurer Jake LaTurner and former Kansas state cabinet secretary Dennis Taylor.

In addition to congressional races, Missouri voters will cast ballots in statewide contests for secretary of state, attorney general and treasurer.

With COVID-19 cases on the rise in both states, in-person voters will have to navigate a number of safety precautions, including stickers on the floor to keep people socially distanced and plexiglass barriers between voters and poll workers.

“It wasn’t bad at all,” 68-year-old Lee Wallace of Kansas City said after casting his ballot at the Brush Creek Community Center. “It wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be. It was pretty easy.”

Keshawn Sanders, a 22-year-old temp with the KC Board of Elections, was scouting out the Robert J. Mohart Center precinct early Tuesday morning. He said each polling location is equipped with a “Corona kit” of screen protector wipes, gloves and hand sanatizer, and that if any location starts running low on supplies, the election board will make sure they get restocked.

Another Brush Creek voter, Nairobi Collins, 46, said she felt safe voting because of the added precautions.

“It’s different. I mean, there’s more space. The plastic guards are up. They have an individual stylus for each person,” Collins said. “The people are far enough away from you that are helping. It feels safe.”

Independence voter Danny Burns expressed a different sentiment towards safety measures after casting his ballot at the Hanthorn Early Education precinct Tuesday morning.

“It’s fine. It’s totally ridiculous but it’s fine,” Burns said, removing his mask in the parking lot. He said he wore it because he felt he had to.

“This whole thing is a mess. We shouldn’t be doing it,” he said.

But state election officials in Missouri and Kansas have said voters can’t be required to wear a mask to cast a ballot.

With fewer election volunteers available, many in-person voters should be prepared to travel to a different polling station than usual.

There will only be 50 polling stations in Kansas City on Tuesday — down from 142 in the August 2016 primary.

Election Director Lauri Ealom said she found out that a polling location was about to back out the day before the election. She had a backup plan ready to go if the precinct fell through.

“I already had an event rental company on stand by with tents,” Ealom said.

“If he wasn’t going to allow us to use the poll, what I was going to then do was ask him if I could drop a tent in the parking lot so that we didn’t have to change the poll, and then add parquet flooring, generators.”

Ealom said polls seem to be running smoothly and predicted “relatively decent turnout.”

Absentee ballots in Kansas must be postmarked on or before Tuesday and arrive at the election office by 5 p.m. Friday to be counted. Missouri absentee ballots must be received by the time polls close Tuesday.

This story was originally published August 4, 2020 at 5:00 AM.