Big primary elections are coming up in Kansas and Missouri. Here’s what’s on the line

Both Kansas and Missouri voters will have the chance to cast a primary ballot this summer on Aug. 2, and then in the general election on Nov. 8.

A lot is on the line for the future of our states, and at The Star, we believe that our democracy is stronger when more people have the information they need to participate in and shape it.

Here’s our goal this election season: We want to make it as easy as possible for you to feel informed about how the people on the ballot can affect your life and the lives of those you love. And we want you to feel equipped to decide who is most likely to make choices that you believe will best serve you and your community, in both Missouri and Kansas.

We’ll continue covering the candidates and their campaigns as they compete for your vote. But we’re also going to focus on answering your questions and explaining anything confusing or misleading about the voting process or races.

Let us know in the form at the bottom of this story what questions you have, what you want the candidates to be focusing on and anything confusing you’ve heard about voting.

Based on some of the things we hear from you, our reporters will be asking the candidates who will be on your ballot to answer a few questions. We’ll compile those into a voter guide where you can look up the races near you, in addition to explainers on things you’re curious about before the big day.

We know the news can be exhausting, and often dominated by the loudest and most polarizing voices. We want to be a resource that can cut through the noise and help you figure out what information is most important to you.

What’s at stake in this election? And what will be on your ballot for the Aug. 2 primary?

The election on Aug. 2 is a primary, which means you will only get to vote for candidates who are all part of one party. For example, Republican voters will choose among the Republican candidates, and Democratic voters will choose among the Democratic candidates. Then in November, the Republican and the Democrat for each position will run against each other and any other candidates from other parties.

There’s one major exception to this: In Kansas, any voter will be able to vote on the constitutional amendment that would remove the right to abortion, even if you’re registered as an independent or you are not affiliated with a party at all.

Here’s what Missouri voters will find on the ballot…

• Dozens of candidates are running to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt, whose term is up. Both the Republicans and the Democrats will have stacked primaries, with former Gov. Eric Greitens, Attorney General Eric Schmitt and Rep. Vicky Hartzler leading the Republican race, and Trudy Busch Valentine and Lucas Kunce leading the Democratic race.

• Missourians in three Kansas City area congressional districts will be voting for their U.S. House Representative. Those in the fourth district will be voting to replace Rep. Vicky Hartzler. Both Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II and Rep. Sam Graves in the fifth and sixth districts will be running for re-election, and they both have challengers in both parties.

• Some Missouri state legislative offices are up for grabs. A couple districts in the Kansas City area will be voting for a new state senator, and a lot of districts will be voting for new state representatives.

Kansas voters will weigh in on…

• All Kansas voters will vote on a proposed amendment that would remove the right to abortion from the state constitution. It’s called the Value Them Both amendment by supporters. Voting yes would remove the right to abortion, which opens up the possibility of the state legislature eventually passing laws that could further restrict abortion access. Voting no would keep the state constitution as is.

• Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly is running for governor again, and Republican Attorney General Derek Schmidt is running against her. Both Kelly and Schmidt have opponents in their respective parties that will be on the primary ballot, but both are expected to win the primary and face off in the general election.

• Republican voters will vote among candidates in the primary for statewide offices like Attorney General, Secretary of State and State Treasurer.

• Sen. Jerry Moran is running for his U.S. Senate seat again, with Democratic and Republican challengers.

• All Kansas State Representatives will be up for election, and some have challengers in the primary.

• Some Kansans will vote on district court judges.

What are the key dates to know?

• July 6: Last day to register to vote in Missouri in order to vote in the primary

• July 12: Last day to register to vote in Kansas in order to vote in the primary

• June 21: Absentee voting begins in Missouri for those who meet the qualifications

• July 13: First day advance, in-person voting begins in Kansas, and first day mail-in ballots are sent

• July 26: Last day to apply for a mail-in ballot in Kansas

• Aug. 1: Last day to vote absentee in Missouri

• Aug. 2: Primary Election Day

What questions do you have?

Do you have questions about how the candidates will affect your schools, your favorite small business or a family member needing medical care? Or about something confusing you’ve heard from a campaign, or about what you need to bring to the polls?

We want to hear from you.

Our team will share back the kinds of questions we hear from readers, and we’ll use that insight to help us make choices about what questions to ask candidates and what kinds of stories to pursue.

We are working on a voter guide with answers from each candidate who will be on your ballot.

Fill out the form below, or email us at kcq@kcstar.com.

This story was originally published June 14, 2022 at 5:00 AM.

Allison Dikanovic

The Kansas City Star

Allison Dikanovic is The Star’s local government accountability editor. She’s been in Kansas City since 2021, previously leading the service journalism team. She has worked in newsrooms and classrooms in Milwaukee, Oakland and New York. She holds degrees from Marquette University and the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY.