Live updates: Polls have closed. See results as they roll in for Kansas & Missouri races

The polls have closed in both Kansas and Missouri, and results started rolling in shortly thereafter.

While the presidential race between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris was at the top of the ballot Tuesday, voters were also selecting other federal, state and local leaders, as well as deciding on important ballot issues.

In Kansas, voters in the metro area were deciding who will represent them in two U.S. House races — Kansas’ 2nd and 3rd Congressional Districts.

In Missouri, voters were deciding who will represent them in the U.S. Senate as well as three U.S. House races — Missouri’s 4th, 5th and 6th Congressional Districts.

Voters in Missouri were also deciding the fate of six ballot questions, including the controversial measure that would overturn the state’s abortion ban and enshrine the right to an abortion in the Missouri Constitution.

Missouri voters appear set to legalize sports betting

Update 12:32 a.m.: Missourians appeared on track to legalize sports betting, unofficial election results showed early Wednesday morning.

If the results hold, Missouri would become the latest state to allow gambling on major sporting events.

The passage of an amendment to the Missouri Constitution, called Amendment 2, would open the door for the state’s professional sports teams and casinos to take bets just two years after sports gambling became legal in neighboring Kansas.

The Associated Press had not called the election as of 12:15 a.m.

Read more about the ongoing vote over Amendment 2 here.

Republican David Wasinger clinches Missouri Lt. Governor race

Update 12:25 a.m.: Missouri voters on Tuesday elected Republican David Wasinger to become the state’s next lieutenant governor as Republicans maintain control of the office held by Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe.

Wasinger, a lawyer from St. Louis County, has never held elected office. He courted voters through a promise to “take a hammer to the Jefferson City establishment.” Wasinger defeated Democratic state Rep. Richard Brown from Kansas City.

The Associated Press called the race for Wasinger at 12:05 a.m. Wednesday. Unofficial results showed him receiving 56.3% of the vote compared to Brown’s 39.6%, according to the AP.

Read more about Wasinger’s win here.

Voters choose Sen. Hoskins as Missouri Secretary of State

Update 12:05 a.m.: Missouri Sen. Denny Hoskins won the race for Missouri secretary of state on Tuesday after building a campaign that focused on his conservative voting record in the General Assembly.

Hoskins, from Warrensburg, was first elected to the state Senate in 2016 after previously serving in the House. Hoskins was one of the founding members of the Senate’s Missouri Freedom Caucus, a hard-right group of senators who frequently sparred with GOP leadership.

The victory by Hoskins affirms the Republican Party’s tight grip on Missouri politics.

Read more on what voters can learn from Hoskins’ victory here.

Moderate candidates re-elected in three Johnson County races

Update 12:03 a.m.: Johnson County Commissioner Charlotte O’Hara on Tuesday lost her reelection bid to Julie Brewer, a longtime affordable housing advocate, as the issue has become an increasingly high focus point in the suburban community.

Brewer handily beat O’Hara, who represents the county’s 3rd District, with 53% of the vote, according to unofficial election results.

It was the only of three contested seats where a commissioner lost reelection this year, as O’Hara, an outspoken conservative member of the board, shared defeat with other conservative candidates who sought to oust moderates.

Read more on the fate of moderates in tonight’s Johnson County elections here.

Andrew Bailey re-elected as Missouri Attorney General

Update 11:59 p.m.: Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey defeated Democrat Elad Gross on Tuesday, winning a four-year term with an abrasive approach that’s led the Republican official to insert himself into politically explosive fights in support of former President Donald Trump and the businessman Elon Musk.

Bailey will now have the opportunity to further reshape the state attorney general’s office, after Republican Gov. Mike Parson appointed him to the position to fill a vacancy in early 2023.

His general election victory, which had been anticipated, came after a bruising GOP primary contest that pitted him against one of Trump’s lawyers.

Read more on Bailey’s path to re-election here.

New MO treasurer Vivek Malek first electee of color in state history

Update 11:58 p.m.: Missouri Treasurer Vivek Malek, a Republican, won a full term on Tuesday, defeating Democrat Mark Osmack to become the first person of color to win a statewide general election in state history.

Malek, an immigrant from India who became a lawyer, ran a campaign focused on typical GOP themes. He promoted his work as treasurer by pulling out of investments in Chinese companies and his support for former President Donald Trump and a wall along the southern border.

Osmack posted on social media around 11 p.m. that he had called Malek to concede the race.

Read more on Malek’s journey to state office here.

Missouri voters reject court fees supporting law enforcement pensions

Update 11:56 p.m.: Defendants in Missouri will not be subject to additional court fees, after voters Tuesday rejected a ballot measure.

Amendment 6 overwhelmingly failed, with “no votes” leading by 61% shortly after 11:10 p.m., with 91% of precincts reporting, according to the Missouri Secretary of State.

The ballot measure proposed a $3 fee for sheriff pension funds and a $4 fee for prosecuting attorney pension funds. The amendment was rewritten after the Missouri Court of Appeals in September found the original language misleading.

Read more on the failed amendment here.

Liberty Republican loses re-election bid to Missouri General Assembly

Update 11:51 p.m.: Republican Missouri Rep. Chris Lonsdale lost his bid Tuesday for a second term representing Clay County in the Missouri General Assembly to his Democratic opponent, Martin Jacobs.

Both men live in Liberty, where Jacobs was formerly principal of Liberty North High School and won 51% of the vote to Lonsdale’s 49% in the race to represent House District 38.

Read more on Jacobs and Lonsdale’s campaign priorities here.

Jackson County pastor flips contentious Missouri Senate seat

Update 11:50 p.m.: Jackson County pastor Joe Nicola won election to the Missouri Senate on Tuesday as Republicans flipped a hotly-contested district previously held by the chamber’s top Democratic leader.

Nicola, a Republican from Grain Valley, defeated Democratic Rep. Robert Sauls from Independence. The district, Senate District 11, represents the Kansas City-area suburbs of Independence, Sugar Creek and Grain Valley.

Nicola’s election could hold significant consequences for the prominent district, which was previously held by Senate Minority Leader John Rizzo.

Political observers expect him to be aligned with the hard-right Missouri Freedom Caucus, which has frequently sparred with GOP leadership.

Read more on Nicola’s platform, endorsements and religious background here.

Johnson County voters uphold legislature’s Republican supermajority

Update 11:37 p.m.: Kansas Republicans have held onto key seats in Johnson County and appear poised to maintain veto-proof supermajorities in both chambers of the Kansas Legislature.

Vulnerable Johnson County Republicans fended off challenges and GOP candidates ousted two House Democrats in the county to expand their legislative advantage, according to unofficial election results from the Kansas Secretary of State’s Office.

The GOP appears to have picked up a new seat in Olathe’s House District 15, where Lauren Bohi led incumbent Allison Hougland by 131 votes with all precincts reporting.

Democratic incumbent Dennis Miller lost out more decisively to Republican challenger Charlotte Esau in Olathe’s House District 14.

Read more about Tuesday’s Democratic hopes and Republican votes in Johnson County here.

$15 minimum wage, expanded sick leave passes in Missouri

Update 11:35 p.m.: Missouri voters on Tuesday approved raising the state’s minimum wage to $15 and guaranteeing paid sick leave to workers, passing a ballot measure supporters said will help lower-income families and individuals.

The ballot measure, Proposition A, will gradually raise the minimum wage. The current minimum wage of $12.30 an hour will grow to $13.75 an hour on Jan. 1, 2025, and to $15 an hour in January 2026.

The wage will then be adjusted annually based on inflation.

Read more on the future of the new amendment here.

Missouri voters pass ban on ranked-choice voting

Update 11:27 p.m.: Missouri voters on Tuesday approved a measure that officially bans ranked-choice voting, a novel way of conducting elections that is not largely used in the state.

The measure, called Amendment 7, prohibits the voting method, which allows voters to rank their preferred candidates in order of preference. It included a carve-out for St. Louis, which implemented a similar form of “approval voting” in municipal elections in 2020.

The Associated Press called the election in favor of Amendment 7 at 10:17 p.m.

Read more about voters’ takes on the hotly debated ballot measure here.

Melesa Johnson becomes first Black woman elected Jackson Co. prosecutor

Update 11:25 p.m.: In a historic win for the Kansas City area, Democrat Melesa Johnson was elected Tuesday as the next Jackson County prosecutor.

Johnson is the first Black woman to take on the role.

She ran against Republican Tracey Chappell. Longtime Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker did not seek reelection. Johnson earned 57% of the vote, and Chappell got 43%, according to unofficial results from the Kansas City Election Board and Jackson County Election Board with all precincts reporting.

At Johnson’s watch party in downtown Kansas City, she called her win a “historic occasion.”

Read more on Johnson’s historic victory here.

Voters greenlight new tax supporting social services for older adults

Update 11:16 p.m.: Jackson County voters approved a property tax levy Tuesday that will raise millions of dollars to support social programs for people at or near retirement age. With all but one precinct reporting, it passed with 58% support.

Jackson County now joins Clay, Platte, Ray and more than 50 other Missouri counties in having a tax to finance their own “senior citizens’ services fund,” which help finance programs to help people age 60 and up live independently as they get older.

The 0.05% property tax levy (a nickel on every $100 of assessed valuation) is expected to raise $8 million to $10 million a year and will subsidize services like home-delivered meals and health care assistance.

Read more about how the new tax will be implemented here.

Bipartisan wins fill out Kansas State Board of Election seats

Update 11:15 p.m.: Democrats and Republicans each won a Kansas City-area race for the Kansas State Board of Education on Tuesday, according to unofficial results, but the final makeup of the board remains in flux as conservatives seek more influence over public education in the state.

Melanie Haas, a current board member, won a second term in District 2, which includes much of eastern Wyandotte County and northeast Johnson County. She defeated Republican Fred Postlewait, a retired computer systems administrator who said schools had downplayed traditional academic instruction in favor of “social engineering.”

Republican Connie O’Brien beat Democrat Kris Meyer in District 4. The district includes portions of northern Johnson and southern Wyandotte counties, along with other areas of eastern Kansas.

Read more about Haas and O’Brien’s parallel races here.

Sharice Davids, lone Kansas Democrat in Congress, secures fourth term

Update 11:06 p.m.: Rep. Sharice Davids, Kansas’ lone Democrat in Congress, was reelected to a fourth term on Tuesday, defeating Republican Prasanth Reddy to cement her hold on the suburban district.

Like each of her past elections, Davids, 44, entered the race as one of the potentially vulnerable Democrats in the House, given the fact that there are more Republicans than Democrats registered in the District. But by the end of the night, she once again took the stage in Overland Park to give a victory speech.

Davids’ victory was again propelled by voters in Johnson County, a once reliably Republican County that has increasingly supported Democratic candidates as former President Donald Trump has established firm control over the Republican Party.

Read more on Davids’ election strategy — and the history of her Johnson County seat — here.

Missouri overturns abortion ban

Update 10:51 p.m.: Missouri voters overturned the state’s abortion ban on Tuesday, enshrining a right to reproductive freedom into the state constitution in a historic election that served as a rebuke of Republican lawmakers who spent decades restricting abortion access.

The passage of an amendment to the Missouri Constitution called Amendment 3 once again legalizes abortion in Missouri two years after state officials swiftly imposed a ban moments after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the federal right to end a pregnancy in June 2022.

Learn more about the efforts that culminated in Tuesday’s landmark vote here, and read about the future legal path to restoring abourtion access here.

Johnson County District Attorney Steve Howe wins reelection

Update 10:45 p.m.: Republican Johnson County District Attorney Steve Howe narrowly won a fifth term Tuesday night, fending off a challenge from a defense attorney who previously worked as a prosecutor in his office for more than 20 years.

Howe secured 51% of the vote over Democratic candidate Vanessa Riebli’s 49%, according to unofficial results from the Johnson County Election Office. The tight race came as most Johnson County officeholders won new terms, despite one upset on the commission and the election of a Democrat to run the sheriff’s office for the first time in a century.

Here’s more on the victory for Howe, who ran his campaign this year on a slogan of justice rather than politics.

Former Kansas Attorney General wins U.S. Congressional seat

Update 10:40 p.m.: Republican Derek Schmidt, the former Kansas Attorney General, was elected to Congress on Tuesday night, defeating former Democratic Rep. Nancy Boyda to reinvigorate his political career.

Just two years ago, Schmidt was making a concession speech after narrowly losing the gubernatorial election to Gov. Laura Kelly. But, following a late entry into the race for Kansas 2nd Congressional District after the surprise retirement of Rep. Jake LaTurner, Schmidt was named the winner.

Schmidt’s win was called by the Associated Press at 10:13 p.m. He was winning 55% of the vote, compared to 40% for Boyda and 5% for Libertarian John Haur, with 902 of 1,085 precincts reporting, according to the Kansas Secretary of State’s Office.

Learn more about Schmidt’s campaign, which championed him as a “conservative fighter,” here.

Former news anchor Alford captures easy re-election to Congress

Update 10:31 p.m.: Rep. Mark Alford, a Lake Winnebago Republican, won a second term in Congress Tuesday, gliding to an easy election win in Missouri’s heavily conservative 4th Congressional District.

The Associated Press called the race for Alford at 9:24 p.m. At the time, Alford had 71.5% of the vote compared to Democrat Jeanette Cass’ 26.1% and Libertarian Thomas Holbrook’s 2.5%, according to the AP.

Alford, 61, served as a news anchor at Fox 4 before resigning to run for Congress in 2021 in order to replace former Rep. Vicki Hartzler.

Read more about Alford’s conservative constituency here.

Sam Graves to represent Northland in second House term

Update 10:30 p.m.: Rep. Sam Graves easily won reelection to Missouri’s 6th Congressional District, continuing a two-decade long string of representing Kansas City’s Northlands and much of the northern part of the state.

Graves, 60, is the longest serving member in Missouri’s congressional delegation, having first been elected in 2000.

He serves as the chairman of the House Transportation Committee — a powerful role that gives him authority over how federal money is spent on infrastructure improvements throughout the country.

Read more about Graves’ career and tonight’s win here.

Rep. Emanuel Cleaver to serve 11th term in Congress

Update 10:22 p.m.: Rep. Emanuel Cleaver easily captured reelection in Missouri’s 5th Congressional District in Kansas City Tuesday, securing an eleventh term in the House.

Cleaver, 80, will enter his 20th year in the House, where he serves on the House Financial Services Committee and is the ranking member of the House Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance.

That committee could face a larger role over the next two years, as both Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump campaigned on lowering housing costs for Americans — one source of the higher prices plaguing many in the Kansas City area.

Read more about Cleaver’s landslide victory here.

Clay County Democrat snags Missouri Senate seat

Update 10:15 p.m.: Maggie Nurrenbern was elected on Tuesday to represent Missouri Senate District 17, a competitive open seat in Clay County. As of 10 p.m. she had 51% of the vote, with 82 of 82 precincts reporting, according to the Clay County Board of Elections.

Her Republican opponent, Clay County Presiding Commissioner Jerry Nolte, received 45% of the vote. The totals were close, with Nurrenbern earning 44,582 votes, and Nolte 39,568.

Nurrenbern will fill the vacant seat after Sen. Lauren Arthur, a Democrat, did not run for reelection due to term limits.

Read more about Nurrenbern’s political history here.

Johnson County elects first Democratic sheriff in nearly 100 years

Update 10:02 p.m.: Johnson County voters chose Byron Roberson as their next sheriff in a close race Tuesday, electing a Democrat to lead the department for the first time in nearly a century and after heavy scrutiny of Sheriff Calvin Hayden’s leadership.

Roberson won 51% of the vote over Republican candidate Doug Bedford, a former undersheriff who knocked Hayden out of the race in the August primary, according to unofficial county election results.

The historic win marks a new ground for Democrats and further cements in place Johnson County’s evolving identity as a party stronghold in Kansas.

Read more about Roberson’s campaign strategy and historic win here.

Parkville Republican flips Platte County seat in general assembly race

Update 9:53 p.m.: Voters in Platte County on Tuesday elected Republican Mike Jones to the Missouri General Assembly, flipping the seat after Rep. Jamie Johnson, a Democrat, became the first Black lawmaker to represent the county in 2022.

As of 9:10 p.m. Jones had 51% of the vote, with 11 of 11 precincts reporting, according to unofficial results from the Platte County Board of Elections. His opponent, Democratic Rep. Jamie Johnson, captured 49% of the votes.

The race was close, with a difference of only 200 votes. Jones got 10,102, and Johnson got 9,902.

The district encompasses most of southern Platte County. In 2022, Johnson flipped the previously Republican-held seat by receiving 52% of the ballots cast.

Read more about Jones’ platform and Johnson’s failed re-election bid here.

Missouri Republican Josh Hawley re-elected as U.S. Senator

Update 9:42 p.m.: Sen. Josh Hawley, the polarizing Missouri Republican known for his political brawling, marched to victory in Missouri’s U.S. Senate race, defeating Democrat Lucas Kunce who attempted to unseat him with a populist message.

Hawley, 44, is already one of the youngest members of the Senate and now enters his second term with a mandate from Missourians to attempt to fundamentally reshape Republican politics in Washington in favor of a socially conservative agenda that focuses on the Republican Party’s working-class base.

The Associated Press called the race at 9:28 p.m. Hawley was winning 50.9% of the vote, compared to 46.6% for Democrat Lucas Kunce, 1.1% for Green Party candidate Nathan Kline and 0.7% for Better Party candidate Jared Young, according to the AP.

“THANK YOU, MISSOURI,” Hawley wrote on social media shortly after he was projected as the winner.

Read more about Hawley’s path to victory here.

New youth, teen mental health tax passes in Platte County

Update 9:31 p.m.: Platte County voters on Tuesday approved a quarter-cent sales tax that will raise millions of dollars to support children’s mental health services.

Approval of the measure will create the Children’s Services Fund of Platte County. The ballot question asked voters for a tax increase to put money toward services that fill gaps in available screening and mental health services for kids and teens in the Northland.

The question received 56% of votes in favor of the tax, and 44% opposed. The tax is expected to generate nearly $5 million each year. The average county resident would pay about $20 annually for the new fund.

Voter approval comes after several months of back and forth between residents and the Platte County Commission, which unanimously opposed the question.

Read more about the tax and its top proponents here.

Platte County retains fully Republican commission

Update 9:28 p.m.: Allyson Berberich won the District 1 seat on the Platte County Commission, which represents the area roughly south of the Kansas City International Airport, keeping all three spots Republican.

Berberich joins Scott Fricker, the presiding commissioner and Joe Vanover, the Second District commissioner.

Berberich, an alderwoman for Parkville and a small business owner, took 54% of the votes cast, while her Democratic opponent, Charles McDonald, took 46%, according to unofficial results published Tuesday night by the Platte County Board of Elections.

Berberich’s main campaign points were to support law enforcement and economic growth. She promised to keep an eye on how the county spends its taxpayers’ money.

Read more about Berberich’s background and beliefs here.

Missouri governor’s race called for current Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe

Update 9 p.m.: Missouri Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe won the race to become the state’s 58th governor on Tuesday, after a campaign centered on his extensive business experience and promises of steady conservative leadership.

Kehoe, a 62-year-old former Jefferson City car dealer, state senator and current lieutenant governor, courted voters partly through tamping down on the aggressive rhetoric that has often defined Missouri politics.

But the victory also serves as an affirmation of the Republican Party’s iron grip on Missouri politics, as Democrats have struggled to win statewide races in recent years.

Kehoe defeated Democratic House Minority Leader Crystal Quade, who cast Kehoe’s opposition to abortion rights and other conservative policies as extreme. Quade, who would have been the first woman to hold the office of Missouri governor if elected, built her campaign on securing abortion rights, gun reform and child care aid.

Read more about Kehoe’s victory, policy and platform here.

Edwardsville passes sales tax to fund new city buildings

Update 8:45 p.m.: Edwardsville residents voted Tuesday to create an additional sales tax that city officials plan to use for building a new City Hall, and police and fire stations.

Voters supported two separate ballot measures that each carry a half-cent tax on every retail dollar spent in the town. Both passed by margins above 56%, according to unofficial results from the Wyandotte County Election Office.

Under the concept pitched to residents, the city will build a new City Hall and police station as one. That building would also include a public library and computer lab.

Read more about the future municipal construction projects here.

KCK school bond vote passes

Update 8:32 p.m.: Kansas City, Kansas, Public Schools won the ability to sell $180 million in bonds Tuesday that officials plan to use for rebuilding its aging stock of school buildings.

Voters approved a ballot initiative to issue the debt at a rate of about two to one, or 68%. The result comes six months after a more expansive, $420 million plan was rejected at the ballot box during a single-issue special election in May.

A major difference between the two plans: the $180 million alternative was crafted in a way that will not increase property taxes, according to district officials.

The bonds will finance rebuilds of Central and Argentine middle schools, two of the oldest in the state. Also included on the project list are a new building to combine Silver City and Noble Prentis elementary schools, and an addition for the Sumner Academy of Arts and Science that would eliminate the need for mobile trailer classrooms.

Read more about the bond decision here.

Supporters start to gather for watch parties

Update 7:50 p.m.: Blue is the color of choice at the Johnson County Democratic watch party, as supporters of Sharice Davids and state Democratic candidates file into the hotel ballroom near the Overland Park Convention Center.

As Natasha Bedingfield’s “Unwritten” plays, voters and candidates mill around, watching the CNN livestream and take advantage of the cash bar.

Expect to wait for final election results

Update 7:20 p.m.: The official results of the 2024 general election won’t be finalized until vote totals are certified in the coming days. But the election boards serving counties and cities around the country usually release preliminary results on election night.

Predictions about the final results of the U.S. presidential election will depend on how quickly preliminary vote tallies are released by each state — and even at the county level.

These preliminary results are what many media outlets base their predictions on. When you hear that a network has “called” a race, all they’ve done is make an informed prediction about who’s going to win based on the numbers currently available.

In 2020, it took several days before enough data was available to make a prediction. In 2016, the presidential race was called in the early hours of the morning the day after Election Day.

Read more about when to expect state and local results — and how to interpret early trends in vote totals — here.

Follow live results in our election trackers

Update 7 p.m.: The polls have closed in both Kansas and Missouri.

The Star will provide election results as they come in throughout the night.

In Kansas, the entire legislature is up for election. Additionally, voters had the opportunity to cast their ballots for several seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, as well as for the Johnson County sheriff and district attorney.

Here are the live results from Kansas as they roll in.

Missouri voters in and around Kansas City have cast ballots to weigh in on the races for governor, attorney general, state legislators, Jackson County prosecutor and more. Voters in Missouri were also deciding on multiple ballot measures.

Here are the live results from Missouri as they roll in.

‘Trump... did a lot better with the economy’

Update 7 p.m.: Thomas Gunion, a 20-year-old voting for the first time at the Central Resource Library in Overland Park, voted for former President Donald Trump, with an eye on the issues of foreign conflicts, the economy and border security. Gunion said he had supported Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s bid for office, and Kennedy’s endorsement of Trump was a big push in his final decision.

Gunion hailed Trump’s approach to foreign policy and said he felt Trump would find a solution to the war in Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas war.

“There’s a lot of things I definitely don’t agree with what (Trump) says, there’s character issues I feel like don’t align with me, but also then again I feel like his supporting cast was better than Kamala’s supporting cast,” Gunion said.

Spencer Funk, a 24-year-old mechanical engineer who also voted for Trump at the same polling location in Overland Park, said his views against abortion, on the economy and on the Second Amendment informed his decision.

“After looking at the past four years, comparing that to the four before, I thought that Trump in my opinion did a lot better with the economy,” he said. “He went through COVID and managed that situation the best he could.”

‘More reconciliation and less divisiveness’

Update 6:45 p.m.: Stan Beatty, 66, sat outside the Kansas City polling site at 1423 Linwood Blvd. with the Phi Beta Sigma Group to verify a safe election. He was undecided on local issues like the sports gambling and the riverboat gambling amendments, but voted for Kamala Harris for president because he said he wants more harmony in the country.

“I think the country is ready for more reconciliation and less divisiveness, and I think she gives us that opportunity,” he said.

DeAndre Tuggle, 38, kept warm outside the polling site in a Phi Beta Sigma jacket. He was never undecided, he said, and chose to vote for Harris in hopes of her bringing unity.

“She seems to me to have a clear plan to help everyone. I know no politician is perfect, it takes ultimately the people to hold people accountable and for us to help ourselves, but I feel like with her and her administration it could help unite people and put us in the right direction,” Tuggle said.

Rita Williams, 70, also stood outside the same polling place, promoting a local candidate. She said she voted early for Harris because she believes it’s time for a woman to take charge of the country and viewed Harris as very qualified.

“We need a woman at the helm. It’s time for a change, time to turn the page and go in a new direction,” she said.

Latina Mitchell, 55, said she voted for Harris because she believes the country needs a change.

“We women, we get the job done. We will see what happens,” Mitchell said.

‘Healthcare is between a woman and her doctor’

Update 6:25 p.m.: Claire Huang, a teacher who voted at Raytown South High School, said voting for both Vice President Kamala Harris and for Amendment 3 were important to her.

“I think that healthcare is between a woman and her doctor, being able to access health care is important,” she said. “Somebody without any kind of medical education shouldn’t get to dictate what choices are made about someone.”

Huang said she felt Harris was focused on improving the lives of the middle and lower classes and said she had concerns about former President Donald Trump’s rhetoric, given that Huang’s husband is an immigrant.

“I have really big concerns for the hateful speech that Trump puts out there on a lot of levels,” she said.

Katrina Morrow, who also voted for Harris at Raytown South High School, said she saw Harris’s message as one of unity. Initially, she was unsure about voting for her and had questions about her as a candidate but connected to her during the campaign cycle.

“I just felt really connected to her,” she said. “I feel like she does have the people’s interests at heart, the country’s interests at heart.”

‘I’m just ready for all of this to be over’

Update 6:15 p.m.: Elizabeth Moya, 40, and Hugo Moya, 42, are registered Democrats who voted for former President Donald Trump in 2020. They liked the economy under his presidency, but were undecided until Election Day. In the end, both voted for Vice President Kamala Harris.

“I’ve been listening to the radio and TV, going back and forth. I’m just ready for all of this to be over,” Elizabeth Moya said, after voting at her polling place at the Oliver Institutional Baptist Church at 2013 7th St. in Kansas City.

In the end, they couldn’t get past Trump’s racist rhetoric directed at Hispanics and were concerned of the future for undocumented people they know.

“We are Hispanic. Me, personally, I like more Trump for the economy, but he’s always saying stuff about us and I don’t want to hear that for the next four years,” Hugo Moya said.

How many Electoral College votes does Missouri have?

Update 6:01 p.m.: Each state gets a certain number of electoral votes based on its total number of U.S. senators and representatives in Congress. In most states, whoever gets the most votes in each state takes all the electoral votes. Missouri gets 10 electoral votes because it has two senators and eight U.S. representatives.

Missouri’s Electoral College is made up of a representative from each congressional district, and two more from the state who are selected at-large, according to a state statute. The state has eight congressional districts, with boundaries that were most recently shifted in 2022.

The state committee of each established party sends its list of nominees for the electoral college to the secretary of state with a signed and notarized declaration of candidacy from each nominee, the statute says.

If one of the electors doesn’t show up to vote at the state capitol in Jefferson City on Tuesday, Dec. 17, the remaining electors choose someone else to fill the empty spot.

Learn more about Missouri’s electoral college here.

‘I’m pro-democracy’

Update 5:15 p.m.: Patrick Pettegrew, 27, a locksmith, went out to his polling location at the Liberty Community Center to vote for Vice President Kamala Harris, as well as the Missouri amendments on abortion, the minimum wage and rank choice voting.

“I’m pro-democracy,” he said with a laugh, noting that he believes in the right to bodily autonomy and that wages haven’t kept up.

“The profits of businesses and the wages of the actual workers have not stayed in sync, and because of that, workers feel like they are restricted in their ability to care for themselves and their ability to participate in the economy,” he said.

He also believes rank choice voting will allow voter’s voices to be heard better.

‘This is the year to vote’

Update 5:00 p.m.: Patricia Patterson, 66, liked Kamala Harris’ debate performance, but wasn’t planning on heading to her polling location at the Mt. Zion Baptist Church at 417 Richmond Ave. in Kansas City to vote, something she does each election. It wasn’t until she left work that the registered Independent decided to vote for Vice President Kamala Harris.

“I’m just not a Trump fan, I’ll put it like that,” she said

Jeff, 77, who declined to provide his last name, said he went to his polling location at the Tony Aguirre Community Center at 2050 Pennway St. in Kansas City to vote for Harris and to vote yes on Amendment 3.

He votes in all elections he can, but said, “if you’re ever gonna vote in your whole life, this is the year to vote. It’s pretty important.”

‘Pro-women, pro-people of color, pro-education’

Update 4:45 p.m.: Linda Brown, who voted for Trump at the Raytown library branch, pointed to the importance of voting. “I feel it’s important that people that can vote do get out and vote,” she said. “It will make a difference I think.”

Sarah Frohmberg, who voted for Harris at the Raytown library branch, said she felt Trump was “extremely dangerous” and said Harris represented areas that were important to her.

“I think she’s perfect for the job I guess with her experience, but I also like that she’s pro-women, pro-people of color, pro-education, all of those things that mean a lot to me,” she said.

Frohmberg said she was also motivated to vote yes on Amendment 3.

“As a woman, I would really like to have complete autonomy over my body and not have the government or someone else telling me what I can and can’t do,” she said. “Even though it might be a non-issue for me it’s not a non-issue for thousands and hundreds and thousands of other women.”

Missouri officials expect 73% turnout statewide

Update 4:25 p.m.: A spokesperson for the Missouri Secretary of State’s Office said officials anticipate voter turnout in Missouri to reach 73%, a roughly 3% increase from the 2020 election.

While state officials won’t have exact figures until after the election, Spokesperson JoDonn Chaney said the estimate was based on voter information such as how many Missourians requested ballots this year.

Final figures will show whether Missourians voting early impacted overall turnout. This year marked the first presidential election after Missouri expanded early voting in 2022, called “no-excuse absentee.”

As Election Day unfolds, Chaney said there have been a few minor problems throughout the state, such as flooding in southern Missouri which caused officials to move a polling location. Other issues included power outages and “minor glitches.”

However, Chaney emphasized that those issues have not impacted voting, saying that there have been “no big problems around the state.”

“Nothing has stalled voting anywhere,” he said.

‘We need to make America great again’

Update 4:15 p.m.: At Second Baptist Church in Liberty, Sarah Occhipinto, 45, a business owner, said she turned out to vote for former President Donald Trump. She said she believes President Joe Biden has made the country so expensive that kids can’t afford to go to college. As a single mom of four kids, she said she doesn’t get enough government assistance, and thinks Trump will be more helpful.

“We need to make America great again,” she said. “[Biden] doesn’t understand blue collar people. [Trump] does understand, because he was once there. He was an entrepreneur. He was born into money, but he knows how everyday people like me you are. He can go to the gas station and know how much it costs.”

Occhipinto said she also believes Kamala Harris isn’t strong enough to lead the country.

“it takes a special kind of a woman to be able to go against people like that, and that’s not her,” she said.

Occhipinto also voted against the abortion amendment, because she said she believes abortions should be limited to victims of rape and incest.

She reported the voting process at her polling site was smooth, only taking 10-15 minutes.

Johnson County early voting turnout

Update 4:00 p.m.: Early voting turnout in Johnson County was significantly higher this year than during the 2020 presidential election, according to county data released Tuesday afternoon.

Between Oct. 19 and Nov. 4 of this year, 209,305 people voted early in-person across the county.

During the 2020 election, 123,242 early voters checked in to 10 early voting sites.

Hilltop Conference Center in Blue Valley was the most popular early voting site in Johnson County this year, with 35,888 voters attending. On the other end of the spectrum, 2,000 early voters passed through Westwood City Hall, the slowest site countywide.

Early voting sites in Johnson County drew the most voters per hour on Oct. 19 and Nov. 2. The highest early voting total took place on Nov. 1, when 19,876 Johnson County residents cast their ballots.

Eight new early voting sites were added across the county between 2020 and 2024, including Leawood City Hall and the Shawnee Library.

‘Excited to possibly see a strong woman like her in office’

Update 3:50 p.m.: At the Urban Youth Academy, 1622 East 17th Terrace in Kansas City, voters were in and out of the polling spot in just a few minutes. Malica Page, 58, came out to vote with the hope of participating in a historic moment—electing America’s first female president.

“It is amazing and I am excited to possibly see a strong woman like her in office,’ said Page. “The only thing I would worry about is other countries and how they see women and how that may impact her work.”

Page also expressed her desire to prevent Donald Trump from securing a second term. “He cuts corners and he did that as a businessman and a politician so why not give her a chance and see what she can do,” Page said.

‘If you don’t vote, you can’t complain’

Update 3:40 p.m.: At Wayne Minor Court apartments in Kansas City, a polling place at 1940 East 11th St., local residents gathered early to vote. While no long lines formed,poll workers saw a steady flow of voters throughout the morning.

Kristall Pruitt, 37, was eager to vote. She showed up with her friend Ashley Ramsey and Ramsey’s daughter, Bayligh. Pruitt said her grandmother instilled in her the importance of voting.

“My grandmother used to tell me if you don’t vote, you can’t complain,” said Pruitt. “It is a civic duty so you have to exercise your right to vote otherwise nothing will ever change.”

Pruitt said, one of the reasons she supports Vice President Kamala Harris is because she wants a leader who reflects the values and strength of her late grandmother, who passed away last year. And she wants a leader who “also mirrors what struggles women are going through right now,.”

Voters wear Trump gear at polling site

Update 3:00 p.m.: In Liberty, Cooper Solminski and Colin Phipps said they voted for Trump because they believe the economy was better when he was in office.

The two 20-year-old construction workers also voted for sports gambling. They said they drive to Kansas often to gamble on sports.

Slominski said Trump will also put more tariffs on incoming goods.

Phipps said he wanted to see a change, with “things to be less expensive. No tax on overtime, which would help me a lot.”

Both cast their ballots Tuesday at the Clay County Election Board at 100 W. Mississippi St. while wearing clothing showing their support for Trump, despite a Missouri law against electioneering at the polls. The two used a polling site set up directly adjacent to the county’s main election office.

Wearing political shirts, hats and buttons in a polling site can be considered electioneering, which is illegal in Missouri. People are prohibited from bringing anything related to an item on the ballot within 25 feet of the building’s entrance.

But poll workers didn’t stop them and ask that they remove the items, turn them inside out or leave the area.

Tiffany Ellison, Democratic Director of Elections for the Clay County Board of Election Commissioners, said election workers didn’t see the clothing until after the two had voted and received their stickers.

Ellison said a poll worker reported that she saw a lot of red, white and blue Tuesday and didn’t make the connection that the clothing was political until after the two voters were leaving.

‘Need to work together’ after election

Update 12:45 p.m.: For 76-year-old Kathy Murphy of Kansas City, Kansas, the decision of which presidential candidate to vote for was based on past performance.

She felt like Donald Trump showed poor leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic and that led her to vote for Kamala Harris, said Murphy, who voted at the Eisenhower Recreation Center at 2901 N. 72nd St. in Kansas City, Kansas.

“I really hope that Kamala can make a big difference,” she said. “But no matter what happens (Republicans and Democrats) need to work together not against each other after the election.”

She also said she votes for candidates who support Social Security. With her medical conditions, she fears the potential loss of that assistance.

“They keep talking about (Social Security), ‘that’s something that we’re giving you.’ No you’re not — I worked 50 years to get it. And now you think you can take it away from us?” said Murphy, a member of the Democratic Party.

“I can’t tell people how to vote, and I wouldn’t tell someone how to vote,” she said. “You have to vote with what’s in your heart and in your mind.”

Rhetoric mattered to this voter

Update 12:10 p.m.: James Goggins, a 52-year-old commercial driver, took the bus to go cast his ballot at the National World War I Museum and Memorial at 2 Memorial Drive in Kansas City.

The presidential races is what compelled him to vote on Tuesday, said Goggins, who is from Atlanta and has been living in the Dominican Republic the past five years before moving to Kansas City recently.

He said he voted for Kamala Harris as well as for raising the minimum wage, a question that is before Missouri voters.

“I feel like I came back on time. This is really a historical race,” he said. “Anybody could have ran against that man (Donald Trump) and I was gonna vote against him because I don’t like his rhetoric. I don’t like him as a person.”

Goggins said he was surprised to see there were only two voting booths at the museum. He took a paper ballot as a faster option and was done voting within 10 to 15 minutes.

Voting numbers in Wyandotte County

Update 11:50 a.m.: Voting in Wyandotte County has been “very steady” with voters at some locations waiting in line for 5 to 20 minutes, said Michael Abbot, election commissioner for the Unified government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas.

As of 11 a.m., an estimated 8,850 voters had cast their ballots in person.

Another 6,102 people had voted by mail and 21,248 had voted early in-person.

For the 2020 general election, a total of 57,276 ballots were cast, resulting in a voter turnout of almost 63%.

Nearly 30% of the KC area voted before Election Day

Update 11:03 a.m.: On the eve of the 2024 general election, more than 400,000 people had already cast their votes in the five counties that make up the Kansas City metro area.

The metro is served by six election boards, each of which has its own method of tracking early voter turnout. And while lines have stretched for hours at some early voting locations, Election Day significantly increases the number of polling places available to voters.

Here’s a closer look at how election officials in the metro prepared for the big day and how many voters they’ve served so far.

What ID do you need to vote in Missouri?

Update 10:28 a.m.: If you waited until Election Day to vote, you will need to bring a form of identification with you to your polling location.

This is the first presidential election since Missouri changed its ID requirements in 2022.

Registered Missouri voters will need a current or recently expired photo ID issued by the federal or Missouri governments. IDs from other states are not accepted.

Usable forms of photo ID for Missouri include:

• A Missouri driver’s license or a state ID that is current or expired after Nov. 8, 2022
• A non-expired military ID, including a veteran ID card that is current or expired after Nov. 8, 2022
• A U.S. passport or another form of photo ID issued by the U.S. government or the state of Missouri that is current or expired after Nov. 8, 2022

If you don’t have one of these forms of identification but registered to vote in Missouri in time, you can cast a provisional ballot.

‘What’s going to help the most people’

Update 9:20 a.m.: A constant flow of voters were attracted early Tuesday to Lenexa Baptist Church 15320 W 87th St. Pkwy in Lenexa, with drivers jockeying in and out of the lot for parking.

Although there were lines, they were moving quickly and no issues were reported. Wait times were not long either.

One voter said the process was really smooth and poll workers were helpful. Many voters were showing up and leaving within 10 minutes, while some took a little longer.

Mona Lisa Brownlee, 61, of Lenexa, said there were important issues on the ballot.

“The main thing that hit me this election is the right for women to be able to make their own decisions in reproductive care,” Brownlee said.

She said she voted for Kamala Harris because she felt Harris would work for the best interests of Blacks, whites and women more than any other candidate.

“It’s important to get in there today,” Brownlee said. “I truly think it’s more important than it’s ever been. You have to (vote) for what’s right and what’s going to help the most people.”

Corinne Chovanec, a 27-year-old Lenexa resident, said she voted for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz because she feels they better support individual freedoms.

“Women’s rights and healthcare were most important to me,” said Chovanec, who identifies as and independent or unaffiliated voter.

“My family has always voted party over everything and that’s frustrating, especially this election,” she said. “I look at the issues at hand and pay attention to the candidates more than the party.”

Her husband, 28-year-old Preston Chovanec, said he too voted for Harris and Walz. For him, LGBTQ protections was a key issue.

“The more inclusive rhetoric from them is very important to me.”

Abortion, reproductive, trans rights top issues among voters

Update 8:25 a.m.: Voter turnout was pretty strong early at the Garrison Community Center at 1124 E 5th St., just east of the City Market. The location was packed with cars all around. People there said it took about 45 minutes to an hour to vote.

For 29-year-old Joanne Naberhouse and 30-year-old Lyndsay Naberhaus, the main thing that got them out to vote was Missouri’s abortion amendment and the presidential race.

“It’s our civic duty,” said Joanne Naberhaus, who along with the other two are registered Democrats.

River Ledet, a 32-year-old therapist specializing in the LGBTQ community and a Democrat, wanted to vote for reproductive rights and for more trans rights.

“I voted for democracy, I voted for feminism,” Ledet said.

Andrew Lee, a 26-year-old sales agent, and Craig Garrett, 25, a manager at a retirement planning group, said voting on Election Day is like attending a sporting event and it was exciting to see others out voting. It gets them ready to watch when the results come in at night. Both are Democrats.

Lee worked in politics in Kansas when voters decided to keep abortion legal in the state in 2022. Lee wants to see that happen in Missouri.

“Republicans have found out very quickly that they’ve lost this issue for a generation or two,” Lee said. “And I say we keep our foot on their necks and keep it there on that issue.”

Garrett said he “came out to support women, support our workers and cast our votes.”

Mayor Lucas votes

Update 7:05 a.m.: Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas was one of many voters who headed out early Tuesday to cast his vote in this year’s election.

“It really did feel extra special to cast a vote fore @KamalaHarris today,” Lucas said in a tweet on X, formerly Twitter.

The post at 6:50 a.m. quickly drew hundreds of likes and a few responses, including one person saying they had their plan in place to vote mid-morning.

Another person responded that their vote canceled out the mayor’s. “But congratulations on the tweet!”

Polls open in Kansas

Update 7 a.m.: The polls are now open in Kansas for those who decided to vote on Election Day.

In addition to the presidential race, voters will decide on school board members, state legislators, Johnson County commissioners, district attorneys in Johnson and Wyandotte counties and more. In Kansas City, Kansas, voters will also vote on a school bond issue.

People can check their voter registration and polling place through the Kansas secretary of state.

The polls will be open until 7 p.m.

Free ride to the polls in Kansas City

Update 6:45 a.m.: Voters in Kansas City will be able to get free rides to their polling locations due to a partnership between the city, its ride-sharing service IRIS and the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority, according to a news release.

Through the “Vote Your Voice” initiative, people can search for their polling locations on the IRIS app to schedule rides to and from their polling stations. The IRIS fleet was expanded to include 10 additional vehicles, with four larger-capacity vehicles available for groups.

The service will continue until 30 minutes after polls close at 7 p.m.

Water main break closes library; poll remains open

Update 6:30 a.m.: The Mid-Continent Public Library’s Antioch Branch in Gladstone closed Monday due to a water main break in the area, the library district announced on Facebook.

The branch at 6060 N. Chestnut Ave. is a polling location and it will be open to voters regardless whether the branch is open for library services, Mid-Continent Public Library announced.

The Clay County Election Board shared the post on its Facebook page to alert voters headed to the polling location.

Polls open in Missouri

Update 6 a.m.: The polls are now open in Missouri for those who chose not to vote early or by mail, instead deciding to cast their ballots on Election Day.

In addition to the presidential race, voters will decide on governor, attorney general, state legislators, Jackson County prosecutor and more.

Missouri voters will also decide on six ballot questions, including a measure that would overturn the state’s abortion ban and enshrine the right to an abortion in the Missouri Constitution, a measure that would allow sports betting and a question that would raise the state minimum wage to $15 an hour.

People can check their voter registration, voting districts and polling place through the Missouri secretary of state.

The polls will be open until 7 p.m.

Top 10 Kansas City-area races to watch

Update 6 a.m.: Beyond choosing a new commander in chief, Tuesday’s election results will also determine major state and local races on both sides of the state line in the Kansas City area.

Ballot questions will shape the future of abortion access, minimum wage and public schools in parts of the Kansas City metro. Missourians are choosing a governor and a U.S. senator, among other top officials. And Jackson County will select its next prosecutor.

Kansans will be voting for state representatives to serve in Topeka, and key seats around Kansas City could affect the Republican super majority in the Legislature. Johnson County will choose a new sheriff, and Kansas City, Kansas, will decide on a school bond.

Check out The Star’s guide to 10 of the biggest races in Tuesday’s elections.

Kansas City area voter guide

For more, the see the comprehensive online voter guide created by The Star and the KC Media Collective.

There you can find information about candidates and questions on the ballot in Jackson, Johnson, Wyandotte, Clay and Platte counties.

The guide also provides links to the official websites of the Missouri secretary of state and the Kansas secretary of state, where you can check your voter registration, your voting districts and your polling place.

Still need help on deciding on a race or issue? The Star’s opinion writers make recommendations in the form of The Kansas City Star’s endorsements.

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

The Star’s Robert A. Cronkleton, Kendrick Calfee, PJ Green, Ilana Arougheti, Nathan Pilling, Noelle Alviz-Gransee, Joseph Hernandez, J.M. Banks, Kacen Bayless, Daniel Desrochers, Bill Lukitsch, Jonathan Shorman, Alecia Taylor, Eleanor Nash, Chris Higgins, Mike Hendricks, Katie Moore, Matt Kelly and Natalie Wallington contributed.

This story was originally published November 5, 2024 at 6:00 AM.