Polls close in Kansas and Missouri, with lower than expected turnout

Polls closed at 7 p.m. in both Kansas and Missouri for Tuesday’s primary elections.

Most polling places reported slower than expected turnout, despite the fact that primary election results will shape important races on both sides of the state line ahead of the general election in November.

In Missouri, voters were picking their candidates who will face off in November in the contests for governor and attorney general, among other offices. Voters were also deciding the future of Kansas City Police Department funding and, in Jackson County, making selections in the race for Jackson County prosecutor.

Kansans were voting for state representatives to serve in Topeka, and in Johnson County they were narrowing the field in the races for sheriff and district attorney.

The Star will be publishing election results live Tuesday night at kansascity.com.

‘All the young people should come out’

Update 7 p.m.: Christian Wade, 50, who went to her polling location at the Recreation Annex Building at 2900 State Avenue in Kansas City, Kansas, Tuesday evening, said her biggest local concern centers around housing, especially the city’s homelessness issue and the growing issue of slumlords in the metro.

She didn’t have specific politicians she was excited for, but said she voted along left-leaning party lines.

“People need a place to live, regardless of how much they make,” she said.

Joann Glover, a 72-year-old moderate voter, didn’t have big concerns about Wyandotte County this election day walking out of her polling location at Mt. Carmel Church of God in Christ at 2025 N 12th St., but was very worried about the economy for this upcoming November election.

Glover said it’s important for younger voters to show up both in small elections and in the presidential ones.

“All the young people should come out to learn, to experience what’s really going on in the world today to help them be better, do better and do what they need to do to really get a good education,” she said.

By The Star’s Noelle Alviz-Gransee

‘Every vote is important’

Update 6:45 p.m.: Shortly after voting together at the Johnson County Central Resource Library in Overland Park Tuesday evening, Heaven Jones said she was energized by the number of women on the ballot, and Pamela Boyd said she wanted to push forward good candidates into positions of leadership.

“I’m a big supporter of women’s rights,” Jones said. “That’s why I’m out here.”

“Being an African-American, it’s important to take advantage of the rights that we didn’t always have,” she added. “Even if it’s just a primary vote, I think every vote is important.”

“A lot of people think, ‘Primary votes, oh it’s no big thing, I’m waiting ‘til November,’” Jones said. “But I always tell people, hey, this is how we get people in position. This is how we get the right person in position, to support our leaders.”

By The Star’s Nathan Pilling

‘If you don’t have a seat at the table, you’re on the menu’

Update 6 p.m.: Voter Susanne Mahoney, 60, said she tries to vote in every election because she considers it her privilege to do so. No specific issues got her to the polls Tuesday at 1120 Central Avenue, but she mentioned that Pat Pettey, a candidate for Kansas State Senator 6th District, stood out to her on the ballot because of their similar views and careers.

“Pettey is on the ballot and she’s a retired educator, and I really like her view because I’m an educator too,” she said.

Susanne Mahoney was there with her 20-year-old daughter, Meg Mahoney, an early voter, who said her biggest issues are women’s rights and education, being a future educator herself.

“I went to a school that had more minorities and was under-resourced, so I feel it’s important to reach out to those communities because they need just as much help as everyone else,” she said.

Minah Chapell, 26, who also came out to vote Tuesday, is left leaning.

She didn’t have any specific issues she was focused on for this election, but thought it was important to show up to vote Tuesday at her polling place at the Bethany Community Center on Central Avenue in Kansas City, Kansas. She believes all young voters should do so, pointing out that those over age 60 pull up to every election en masse, and will make decisions for the younger population if they don’t come forward to vote as well.

“If you don’t have a seat at the table, you’re on the menu,” she said.

By The Star’s Noelle Alviz-Gransee

Johnson County residents prioritize voting

Update 5:30 p.m.: Some voters in Johnson County late Tuesday afternoon said no matter what’s on the ballot, they make it a priority to vote.

“People have fought for so many years for the right to vote,” said voter Deanna Lowrey after voting at her polling place at the Prairie Center Church of God of Prophecy in Olathe Tuesday afternoon.

“I just feel like if I want to have an opinion about something, then I should be voting for the person that has the same opinion that I have,” Lowrey told The Star.

Chris Hardage, an Air Force veteran, said he also prioritizes voting every chance he gets.

”You don’t have to go very far to find places that don’t have those freedoms to vote,” Hardage said, after voting at the same location Tuesday. “It’s great to celebrate liberty and to do that and reflect on it in the quiet moments. I’ll do that on the drive home. It’s a small price.”

By The Star’s Nathan Pilling

Afternoon turnout stays slow

Update 4:30 p.m.: A handful of primary voters trickled in and out at the polling place at 548 S. Coy Street in Kansas City, Kansas, Tuesday afternoon, with poll workers reporting slow turnout.

Voter Jon Lunde, 49, is a local woodworker and registered Democrat. He said no specific issues or races got him to the polls this year, he just always makes an effort to vote at any election he can.

“I always try to get out even for primaries and midterm elections,” Lunde told The Star.

Denise Garcia, 72, and Carlos Garcia, 75, said that Medicare, women’s rights and gerrymandering concerns brought them out to vote.

“We definitely don’t want Trump in office and we need to have our Democratic voices heard,” Denise Garcia said.

Carlos Garcia, a former deputy, also mentioned his concern about stereotypes about people of Mexican heritage, and worries about an increase in discrimination against minorities.

“I’m scared I’m gonna have to carry an ID to say that I’m an American citizen,” he said.

By The Star’s Noelle Alviz-Gransee

Slight uptick in turnout

Update 2:30 p.m.: Voter turnout in Kansas City has seen a slight increase from Tuesday morning, but it is still lagging behind previous primary elections, said Shawn Kieffer, Republican director of the Kansas City Election Board.

“Right now, we’re on pace for about a 16% turnout,” Kieffer said. “We do anticipate, going into the later hours, it will move up a little more and get as high as 20%.”

If that holds true, voter turnout will be down from two years ago. In the past couple of primary elections, voter turnout has been around 26%, Kieffer said.

“People are getting in and out pretty quickly,” Kieffer said. “I have not heard of any issues with lines at any of our polling locations.”

By The Star’s Kendrick Calfee

‘Protecting individuals rights’

Update 2:10 p.m.: Voter Bethany Waddleton, 28, feels that as a Democrat living in Missouri, it’s important to show up for every vote to elect people who support issues she agrees with in all positions of government.

“A lot of people will go vote for just the main election every four years and not see that the local ones are a piece in getting more support for your values as well,” Waddleton, who voted at Sacred Heart Hall, at 814 W. 26TH St. in Kansas City.

“For me, the top issue is protecting individual rights,” she said. “And I vote for people who align with supporting individual rights.”

GOP candidates for Missouri governor locked in tight race

Update 1 p.m.: JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Two of the top Republican candidates for Missouri governor, Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft and Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe, cast their ballots Tuesday morning at separate polling locations in Jefferson City.

Polling has indicated that Ashcroft, Kehoe and Sen. Bill Eigel from Weldon Spring are locked in a tight race to succeed Gov. Mike Parson, who terms out of office in January. Whoever wins will face the Democratic nominee in the November election.

Ashcroft voted shortly after 9 a.m. with his wife, Katie, and their four children. Ashcroft told reporters that he was excited, referencing the prospect of former President Donald Trump also being elected.

“To truly put the people first, to drain the swamp, as they say, which is unfortunately true. And really just put the people first — make sure that every Missourian has the maximum opportunity to fulfill the most of their God-given potential,” he said.

But Kehoe, who cast his ballot just after 11:30 a.m., told reporters the momentum has been on his side for weeks.

“Our team has done a really good job of assembling some of the best people across the state in every county and we’re very optimistic,” he said. “It’s up to the voters now. It’s kind of a relief to be at this spot actually.”

Shortly after speaking with reporters, Kehoe, the former owner of a car dealership in Jefferson City, began helping a woman in the parking lot jump her car. He connected jumper cables from the woman’s car to the truck of one of the interns for his campaign.

By The Star’s Kacen Bayless

Steady turnout, but slower than expected

Update 11:20 a.m: Despite a steady turnout in some polling locations, voting is overall slower than expected this morning, according to Shawn Kieffer, Republican director of the Kansas City Election Board. But a rush is expected around the noon.

“It’s going slower than anticipated today and from the last couple primaries,” Kieffer said. “The last couple primaries we had about a 26% turnout and today has been much slower.”

“It started off slow, then started picking up a little bit, then in the afternoon it should pick up even more,” Kieffer said.

“Right now it’s at about a 15% (turnout) clip — that’s the pace we have going. Hopefully by the end of the day we’ll have about 20% (turnout) maybe, just a little bit lower than anticipated.”

The Kansas City Election Board anticipated about a 25% turnout.

Kieffer said he believes a slower voter turnout to start the day is due to limited contentious races on the Democratic side. The heavy Republican ballot for governor might mean less Democratic voters showing in this primary, Kieffer said.

Everything has been smooth sailing at polls, no long lines or voting issues so far. They have a ton of election workers this year.

By The Star’s Kendrick Calfee

Democratic Party needs to unify after primary

Update 11 a.m.: SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Mike Hamra, a Democratic candidate for governor, cast his ballot Tuesday morning at a polling location in Springfield, where he lives.

Hamra is running against Missouri House Minority Leader Crystal Quade, also of Springfield, for the Democratic nomination. Whoever wins will face the Republican nominee in the November general election.

“I think after the primary, the Democratic Party will need to unify, come together and stay together through the general election to really kind of put on a competitive challenge to whoever the Republican candidates are, whether it’s governor or anybody else up and down the ballot.,” Hamra told reporters.

Democrats have struggled to win statewide elections in Missouri in recent years. The last time a Democrat won the governor’s race was 2012, when Gov. Jay Nixon won reelection.

The Hamra-Quade race is the first time since 2004 that Missouri Democrats have had a significantly competitive primary for governor.

By The Star’s Jonathan Shorman

Passionate about women’s rights

Update 10:30 a.m.: Women’s rights was the most important issue that motivated 61-year-old voter Tracy Ralls to showed up to her poll location at the Heavy Construction Laborers Local Union 663 at 7820 Prospect Avenue.

“I know… we live in a Republican state and Missouri was one of the states enacting laws against women’s rights,” Ralls said. “I’m not for that.”

She was particularly passionate about the governor’s race, saying the state needs to see a change in leadership.

“We’re not going to get nowhere if we don’t change,” she said.

By The Star’s Kendrick Calfee

Surprising turnout

Update 10 a.m.: Eddie Bailey, 62, spent Election Day volunteering for the Black political group Freedom Inc. at the polling location at Brush Creek Community Center, 3801 Cleaver II Blvd. This was his third year volunteering for the group and he was impressed with the turnout.

“It’s been a consistent turnout. And this is early” Bailey said. “I’m looking forward to more people to turn out —I’m surprised actually.”

Bailey was handing out infographics of endorsements by Freedom Inc.

“I’ve given out over half of my ballot forms,” Bailey said.

By The Star’s Kendrick Calfee

‘Good for the nation’

Update 8:30 a.m.: A steady stream of voters showed up at 8:30 a.m. at Mt. Sinai Baptist Church, 3634 Brooklyn Ave. in Kansas City. Cars were beginning to line Brooklyn.

There were no lines or issues reported inside the poling location.

George Rowles, 93, voted this morning at Mt. Sinai. The career U.S. Army veteran fought in the Korean War and later worked for a number of years in the government.

“It’s good for the nation; it’s good for the country to vote,” he said.

By The Star’s Kendrick Calfee

Early rush of voting

Update 8 a.m.: Voting got off to a brisk start Tuesday at the polling site at Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church, 2200 Olive St. in Kansas City, but tapered off after the initial rush.

Polls were busy around the time they opened at 6 a.m., said 64-year-old poll worker Alphonzo Courtney, but slowed down as the hour passed.

After that, a steady trickle of voters was arriving to his location

One of those voters is Andrew Vasquez, 63, who lives just up the street from his polling location.

“We need to make sure that we secure our democracy in every aspect of line of duty,” he said, urging others vote and have their voice heard. “It matters,” he said.

No lines or issues were reported.

By The Star’s Kendrick Calfee

Drive-up, curbside voting

Update 7:20 a.m.: The Kansas City Elections Board announced in a tweet on X, formerly Twitter, that it will have drive-up, curbside voting available from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at its offices at 4407 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

Voters are reminded to bring an acceptable form of ID if you choose to vote curbside.

By The Star’s Kendrick Calfee

This is a developing story and will be updated.

This story was originally published August 6, 2024 at 6:00 AM.