No more voting at Union Station. Kansas City Election Board relocates ahead of 2024
Early voting for November’s election starts next week in Kansas City — but voters who normally cast their ballot at Union Station will have to go elsewhere from now on.
That’s because the Kansas City Election Board, which operated in the iconic train station’s basement for over a decade, has moved to a new, temporary location just south of Brush Creek.
The office’s former Union Station location was a central hub for election-related activities since it opened in 2011. It operated as a polling place, an early voting location, a ballot dropoff location and a voter registration site.
Now, these operations will continue at the office’s new location at 4407 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard just south of Brush Creek.
Lauri Ealom, one of the board’s two directors, said the new location is cheaper for taxpayers, more centrally located and isn’t beholden to Union Station’s busy schedule. The office will remain there until after the 2024 presidential election.
“Our goal is to consolidate and have a place that will meet all of our needs,” Ealom said. “But here, we’re not going to be shut down if something cool happens in the city.”
When Union Station hosts events like the NFL Draft and the Super Bowl parade, the businesses operating inside it often have to close temporarily. Ealom added that the election office has spent upwards of $75,000 per election to secure free parking for voters and poll workers during election season.
“We’re saving a lot of (taxpayer) money being here and having certain things free to us,” Ealom said.
The Kansas City Election Board will operate exactly as before at its new location in the Blue Parkway Shops, which are located at 4209 E. 50th Terrace. It will offer early in-person voting starting Tuesday, Oct. 24 and serve as a polling place on Election Day.
Union Station, meanwhile, will no longer serve as a polling place due to the price of parking.
The new office is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. On Election Day, Nov. 7, the office is open from 6 a.m. until 7 p.m.
You can contact the office by emailing kceb@kceb.org or calling 816-842-4820.
Do you have more questions about voting in Kansas City? Ask the Service Journalism team at kcq@kcstar.com.
This story was originally published October 16, 2023 at 2:45 PM.
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