The 2022 primary is no ordinary election day in Kansas. This year, every voter can vote — even unaffiliated voters who may be unaccustomed to voting in primaries.
On all ballots: a proposed constitutional amendment that would remove the right to an abortion from the Kansas Constitution.
On party-affiliated ballots: primary elections for U.S. Senate and governor and lieutenant governor, plus many more primary races across the state. Party and precinct determine which races voters will see on their ballots.
Wichita Beacon reporters and photographers are providing live coverage of the 2022 primary election around Wichita and what voters are experiencing at the polls. We’ll compile that information, and more, here to give you the most up-to-date election information.
A note on our reporting election results: We will exercise caution when reporting results. So tonight, after the polls close and elections officials begin tabulating votes, we will only post official results that have been verified by The Associated Press.
Have questions? Check out our Kansas Voter Help Desk, where we’ve answered reader-submitted questions. We’ve also prepared a guide to voting in Kansas so you know what to expect when casting your ballot.
Share your voting experience with us! Tag us on Twitter at @WichitaBeacon, on Instagram at @WichitaBeacon and on our Facebook page.
10:30 p.m. Voters reject abortion amendment
Kansas voters showed up in record numbers and triple-digit heat to reject a constitutional amendment that would have stripped the state’s constitution of abortion rights, maintaining the state Supreme Court’s decision that abortion is a fundamental constitutional right.
The vote is the first in the country since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the landmark case that established federal constitutional protections for abortion.
“This victory is a result of our broad coalition of reproductive rights and justice organizations, civil liberties groups, faith leaders and youth who encouraged hundreds of thousands of voters to protect personal autonomy,” said Planned Parenthood Great Plains Votes on Twitter.
At a “Vote No” party in Wichita, election watchers reacted with joy at the news of the amendment’s failure.
Tanya Shryock felt overwhelmed with emotion when she first heard the results.
“I thought we could do it, I hoped we could do it, and we did it,” Shryock said.
“This isn’t the way that the country has to go; it isn’t inevitable.”
Unaffiliated voters and young people who grew up under the protection of Roe v. Wade made the biggest difference in the election results, Shryock said. Shryock has six family members who had never voted in a primary election until this one.
She also hopes other states use Kansas as an example.
“Be like Kansas,” Shryock said. “If we can do it, they can do it.”
9:20 p.m. “Vote No” showing early promise, but half of precincts still to come in
With about half of precincts reporting, “No” votes outnumber “Yes” by roughly two-to-one.
Voter turnout is historically high, matching the turnout of some general elections, driven by voter interest in the proposed amendment to remove the right to an abortion from the Kansas constitution. Voters are voting “No” at greater margins than they voted for President Joe Biden in Nov. 2020.
At a “Vote No” watch party in Wichita, spirits are high.
“The No vote count has yet to fall below 60 percent this evening, and I don’t expect that to stay this way,” said Vote No watch party attendee Jaelynn Abegg.
Abegg doesn’t think that “No” votes will win by as comfortable a margin as early results show, but she said the grassroots activism that has sprung up against the amendment leaves her feeling optimistic.
8:30 p.m. Scenes from the polls: Three hour waits at Linwood Recreation Center
Record voter turnout and election worker shortages led to long waits at Linwood Recreation Center in south Wichita. Voters said they waited three hours to cast their ballots, the longest wait time in Sedgwick County.
7:55 p.m. Voters are waiting — both to vote, and to find out results
Voters at Linwood Recreation Center in south Wichita have waited more than two hours, according to Travis Heying, photojournalist for the Wichita Eagle, with a line that snakes around the building.
Heying said that staff shortages are to blame for the delays — poll workers told him that machines are working, there’s just not enough people to run them.
As some voters wait to cast their ballots, others are waiting to hear results.
Some Wichita voters are gathering to watch results come in after a primary election day with historic turnout.
The Rain Bistro and Lounge in Wichita is packed with dozens of voters waiting for election results as part of the Vote No watch party sponsored by Defend Roe ICT.
Hunter, one of the watch party attendees, feels confident in the vote results due to the strong turn out in young voters. They also said this election reminded them of the 2016 primary election because of how polarizing it is. “Families, including mine, are having issues communicating with each other because this is a very divisive issue.”
The Beacon sent multiple requests over several days to attend the Value Them Both watch party, but Beacon journalists were refused entry.
6:55 p.m. Long waits in high temps at Linwood, but voters in line by 7 can still vote
The Wichita Eagle reported that some voters have waited as long as 2 hours to cast their ballots at Linwood Recreation Center in South Wichita. As voters waited outside, heat indices in Wichita were forecast to be well over 100.
Voters have said that a shortage in poll workers is slowing things down, the Eagle reported. Sedgwick County Election Commissioner Angela Caudillo said that the election office has been deploying workers to polling locations that ask for them, the Eagle reported.
Voters who are in line when polls close at 7 p.m. are allowed to vote.
6:15 p.m. Voter voices: New Life Covenant Church
6:05 p.m. Scenes from the polls: Colonial Heights Church
5:45 p.m. There’s still time to vote! Here’s when polls close.
Voters who have yet to cast their ballot might get caught up in the after-work crowd — 5 p.m. and later is one of the most popular times to vote. But so long as voters are in line by the time polls close at 7 p.m. this evening, they are allowed to vote.
Voters are encouraged to call the Sedgwick County Election Office at (316) 660-7100 if they see any irregularities.
5:00 p.m. Sedgwick County has procedures for COVID-positive voters. This voter was turned away anyway.
Kjersten Anderson was told that all polling locations in Sedgwick County offer curbside voting. Because she recently tested positive for Covid-19, she knew she was contagious and didn’t want to wait in line. When she arrived at her polling location, St. Andrews Lutheran Church in northwest Wichita, she couldn’t see a curbside voting sign. After calling the polling location, she was told they don’t provide curbside voting and was turned away.
The Beacon confirmed with the Sedgwick County Elections Office that curbside voting is supposed to be available for voters who call ahead to their polling locations.
The elections office also stated that the easiest way to vote while sick or immunocompromised is to have a friend pick up your ballot and drop it back off at your polling location before 7 p.m. They recommend calling their office at (316) 660-7100 to get more details on how the process works.
Anderson said she was later able to vote after a friend picked her ballot up for her. The elections office is currently in contact with St. Andrews Lutheran Church to update them on best practices for curbside voting.
4:45 p.m. Who sent misleading texts to Kansas voters ahead of Tuesday’s primary?
Voters across Kansas received text messages on the eve of the 2022 primary misrepresenting what a “yes” vote on the state’s contentious abortion amendment would mean.
But unlike the campaign messaging most voters are used to — and as is often required on campaign messages — the source of the message was not identified in the texts.
Now tech company Twilio says it sent the texts, and was hired by political marketing firm Alliance Forge, according to The Washington Post. Alliance Forge Chief Executive David Espinosa told The Post in a statement that, “Alliance Forge did not consult on this message’s messaging strategy or content.”
State campaign disclosure reports show Alliance Forge received $26,335 this year from political action committee Do Right Pac, funded almost entirely by advocacy group CatholicVote. The PAC was founded by Tim Huelskamp, former U.S. Representative for Kansas’ Big 1st Congressional District from 2011 to 2017. Of the $530,000 his PAC raised this year, $500,000 came from CatholicVote.
Read the rest of the story here.
4:25 p.m. How many votes does the abortion amendment need to pass?
To become a part of the Kansas Constitution, the abortion amendment will require a simple majority of votes, or 50% plus one vote.
To get on the ballot, the amendment first had to pass through both chambers of the state legislature with a two-thirds majority in each. The amendment passed the House 86-38 and the Senate 28-11.
The text of the constitution explaining the amendment process is here.
Even though the abortion amendment is on the primary ballot, it is not a primary race, and there will be no second vote. This is the final vote on this abortion amendment and the only time voters will see it on the ballot.
2:30 p.m. Races to watch: Secretary of State Republican Primary
Secretary of State Scott Schwab, first elected in 2018, is running on the integrity of Kansas elections, which his office oversees. He’s drawn a Republican challenger, Mike Brown, a former Johnson County commissioner who failed to win re-election in 2020. Brown supports President Trump’s false claims of 2020 election fraud and claims Schwab’s not doing his job.
“Election laws in Kansas are very strong, however our Kansas Secretary of State has simply failed all of us in not enforcing those laws,” Brown told KSN. There is no evidence of election fraud in Kansas during the 2020 election.
Schwab disputes Brown’s accusations. “We have strong election laws in place and as your Secretary of State, I have worked with all 105 county election officials to carry out these policies, including strong voter ID, post-election audits, ban ballot harvesting, and secure advance by mail ballot procedures,” Schwab told KSN.
The winner will face Democrat Jeanna Repass and Libertarian Cullene Lang in November.
2:00 p.m. Can churches that serve as polling places hang signs on election day?
Tax rules enforced by the Internal Revenue Service ban churches from campaigning for candidates or political parties, including displaying signs. But the law allows churches to campaign for or against ballot initiatives, which is why so many churches are displaying signs either supporting or opposing the abortion amendment.
But if churches serve as polling places, any campaign signs must be removed during voting hours. Laws that prohibit electioneering — which is when someone tries to influence voters at their place of voting — ban all campaign materials at polling locations, including signs that support or oppose ballot initiatives. Polling locations may not have any campaign materials displayed anywhere inside the polling location or within 250 feet on the entrance.
So, churches may hang signs for the ballot amendment, but not candidates or parties, but if those churches are polling locations, all campaign materials need to be removed during voting hours. If you see a church that has not removed campaign materials, you may report it to the Sedgwick County Elections Office at (316) 660-7100.
1:30 p.m. Races to watch: Attorney General Republican Primary
When Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt decided to run for governor, he left an open seat that drew three Republican primary candidates: Kris Kobach, Tony Mattivi and Kellie Warren. Kobach has the most name recognition, but that is not preventing a competitive race.
Kris Kobach was the former Kansas Secretary of State from 2011 to 2019 who was the unsuccessful opponent of Democrat Gov. Laura Kelly in 2018. He has national name recognition as a proponent of strict voter ID laws, having served as vice chair of President Trump’s short-lived commission on voter fraud. He’s failed to capture endorsements of high-profile Kansas Republicans, though he does have the backing of Kansans for Life and Mark “Oz” Geist, who fought in Benghazi.
Instead, Kellie Warren, a Leawood lawyer first elected to the Kansas Senate last year, has received endorsements from Mike Pompeo, former Secretary of State and former U.S. congressman from Wichita, Sen. Roger Marshall, as well as the Kansans for Life, the Kansas Chamber of Commerce and the Kansas Rifle Association.
The third candidate, Tony Mattivi, is a former federal prosecutor from Topeka, favored by law enforcement officers around the state, including Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett and Sheriff Jeff Easter. Polling shows his prosecutorial bona fides have appeal with voters, though his name is unfamiliar. He Tweeted on Tuesday that he’s “the only candidate who will not embarrass our state.”
Warren has been the most successful in raising campaign contributions, disclosure reports show. Whoever gets the most votes will face Democrat Chris Mann in November. Mann has no challengers in his party.
1:00 p.m. Voters seen leaving polls because of long lines; Polls close at 7 p.m. tonight
Voters were seen leaving their polling location at Grace Presbyterian Church just after noon today because the wait time was 45 minutes. Some voters said they were on their lunch break.
Polls are open until 7 p.m. tonight. If voters arrive on time to vote but find a line of people waiting, any voter who is in line by 7 p.m. may cast their ballot.
Voters are encouraged to call the Sedgwick County Election Office at (316) 660-7100 if they see any irregularities.
Voters may also call the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas nonpartisan “election protection” hotline if they encounter troubles at the polls:
- English: 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683)
- Spanish/English: 888-VE-Y-VOTA (888-839-8682)
- Asian languages/English: 888-API-VOTE (888-274-8683)
- Arabic/English: 844-YALLA-US (844-925-5287)
12:30 p.m. Sedgwick County voter turnout nears 2020 primary levels with hours still to go
Sedgwick County Election Commissioner Angela Caudillo said she was “over the moon” with today’s turnout at the polls. Just before noon, she reported 30,500 Sedgwick County voters had checked in to polls to vote today. In addition, 33,000 cast ballots during early voting, held this past Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Monday. Another 18,000 absentee votes have been received by the office so far. That totals 81,500, nearly the total number of ballots (90,019) cast in the August 2020 primary election.
On Friday, Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab predicted higher than usual primary turnout attributed to intense interest in the abortion amendment, which all voters regardless of party affiliation — or lack of party affiliation — may vote on. He predicts around 36% of registered voters will vote in the 2022 primary election in Kansas. Sedgwick County has 324,000 registered voters; 36% of that number would be 116,640 votes.
12:00 p.m. Electioneering reported — and resolved — at Reliance Community Church
Sedgwick County Election Commissioner Angela Caudillo, while meeting with reporters at the Church of the Magdalene polling site, told reporters there had been at least four reports of improper electioneering in the form of pamphlets being handed to voters at Reliance Community Church, located in south Wichita. Caudillo said the issue has been resolved. Caudillo asked the public to report any irregularities to her office at (316) 660-7100.
11:30 a.m. Scenes from the polls: St. Mark’s United Methodist Church
11:00 a.m. Need to drop off your advance ballot on election day? Here is how.
The Secretary of State’s office is reminding voters that mailed ballots must be postmarked today.
If you requested an advance ballot by mail but didn’t get it in the mail in time, you may still drop off your ballot by 7 p.m. on election day, or have someone drop it off for you. To find a polling location, enter your address in VoterView.
Before you drop off your ballot, however, make sure you sign the envelope, and that you have not accidentally swapped envelopes with someone else in your household. If you received assistance in filling out the ballot, or if someone else dropped it off for you, the person who assisted must sign the affidavit on the envelope.
You may drop off your ballot at any polling location on election day, and at these ballot box locations:
- Bel-Aire City Hall, 7651 E. Central Park Ave.
- Haysville Police Department, Court Services, 200 W. Grand Ave,
- Valley Center City Hall, 121 S Meridian Ave.
- Clearwater City Hall 129 E. Ross Str.
- Maize City Administration, 10100 W. Grady Ave.
- Derby Public Library, 1600 E. Walnut Grove Road
- Fire Station 35, 1535 S. 199th St West, Goddard
- Fire Station 32, 7750 Wild West Road, Park City
- Boston Recreation Center, 6655 E Zimmerly, Wichita
- Evergreen Park Recreation Center, 2700-D N Woodland, Wichita
- Sedgwick County Health Department, 1900 E 9th Str., Wichita
- Orchard Recreation Center, 4808 W 9th St N, Wichita,
- Linwood Recreation Center, 1901 S Kansas, Wichita
- Sedgwick County Courthouse, 525 N Main, Wichita
10:30 a.m. Trouble voting? This hotline can help.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas has a nonpartisan “election protection” hotline that voters may call if they run into trouble at the polls. The organization has already intervened in four counties around Kansas on behalf of voters: once to ensure mail-in ballots would be accepted, once to prevent possible electioneering by poll workers and twice when people who were eligible to vote were prevented from registering.
Voters who encounter problems at the polls are encouraged to call the hotline:
- English: 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683)
- Spanish/English: 888-VE-Y-VOTA (888-839-8682)
- Asian languages/English: 888-API-VOTE (888-274-8683)
- Arabic/English: 844-YALLA-US (844-925-5287)
10 a.m. What voters are saying at Reformation Lutheran Church
On Tuesday, as Kansas voters cast their ballots on a constitutional amendment that would strip the state’s constitution of abortion rights, some voters did so with extra reverence and reflection.
One Wichita polling location is Reformation Lutheran Church, the same church where physician and abortion provider George Tiller was assassinated in 2009 while serving as an usher.
Wichita voter Chris Wallace, whose assigned polling place is Reformation Lutheran, said she was struck by the gravity of the location when she arrived to cast her ballot against the abortion amendment.
“It really hit me when I walked in the doors, that this is the exact place where Dr. George Tiller was murdered by a crazy anti-abortion fanatic,” Wallace said.
Reformation Lutheran also served as an early polling location Thursday, Friday and Saturday, where Wichita voter Saphire Lies reflected in a Facebook post on her memories attending church with Tiller and the attention it brought; she last attended the church in 2004.
“Last time, there was a throng of rabid protestors at each entrance,” Lies wrote on Facebook on July 30. “They carried posters of bloodied fetal remains and wielded megaphones that hurled abusive words at us every single Sunday for as long as I can remember.”
By mid-morning, the lines at Reformation were beginning to grow out the door as voters braced against increasing heat to make their historic votes.
9:30 a.m. What if you are given a provisional ballot?
A voter will be asked to vote provisionally if election officials need to verify the eligibility of that voter or their ballot before the election results are certified.
For example, if records show that a voter requested an advance ballot by mail, but then that voter shows up to vote in person, they will be given a provisional ballot so the election officials can verify that the voter didn’t vote twice.
Some other reasons a voter might be given a provisional ballot:
- The voter tells election workers a different name from the name on their voter registration,
- The voter’s address is different from address on their voter registration,
- A voter’s name is not in the registration book,
- A voter gives a party affiliation different from their registration,
- A voter does not show a valid photo ID when they vote.
If a voter is given a provisional ballot because they don’t have a photo ID, they may “cure” their provisional ballot by showing the election office an accepted form of ID.
Voters can track the status of their provisional ballot on their profile in the state’s VoterView portal.
9:15 a.m. Scenes from the polls
Most Wichita polling locations are past the before-work rush, but plenty of voters are still casting their ballots.
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8:40 a.m. Researching candidates last-minute? Here are the candidates in statewide primary races
For voters casting a ballot in either the Democratic or Republican primaries, here are the races that will appear on party ballots across the state, with links to each candidate’s campaign websites and Ballotpedia page. Primary races with only one candidate are not listed.
U.S. Senate: Democratic primary
- Paul Buskirk: Campaign website, Ballotpedia page
- Mark R. Holland: Campaign website, Ballotpedia page
- Robert Klingenberg: Campaign website, Ballotpedia page
- Michael Soetaert: Campaign website, Ballotpedia page
- Patrick Wiesner: Campaign website, Ballotpedia page
- Mike Andra: no campaign website found, Ballotpedia page
U.S. Senate: Republican primary
- Joan Farr: Campaign website, Ballotpedia page
- Jerry Moran: Campaign website, Ballotpedia page
Governor and Lieutenant Governor: Democratic primary
- Richard S. Karnowski and Barry J. Franco: Campaign website, Ballotpedia page
- Laura Kelly and David Toland: Campaign website, Ballotpedia page
Governor and Lieutenant Governor: Republican primary
- Arlyn Briggs and Lance Berland: Campaign website, Ballotpedia page
- Derek Schmidt and Katie Sawyer: Campaign website, Ballotpedia page
Secretary of State: Republican primary
- Mike Brown: Campaign website, Ballotpedia page
- Scott J Schwab: Campaign website, Ballotpedia page
Attorney General: Republican primary
- Kris Kobach: Campaign website, Ballotpedia page
- Tony Mattivi: Campaign website, Ballotpedia page
- Kellie Warren: Campaign website, Ballotpedia page
State Treasurer: Republican primary
- Steven Johnson: Campaign website, Ballotpedia page
- Caryn Tyson: Campaign website, Ballotpedia page
8:15 a.m. Polls are open! How to find yours.
One of the most common mistakes people make on election day is showing up to the wrong polling location, said Nicole Gibbs, Sedgwick County spokesperson.
To find your polling location, enter your address through the Kansas VoterView portal to find your polling location. Or, if the portal isn’t recognizing the address you entered, you may login to the portal and your polling location should be listed below voter registration details.
But if you still show up to the wrong polling location, you will be allowed to vote, Gibbs said.
“If a voter shows up to vote at the wrong polling place they will be given the option to go to the correct polling place,” Gibbs said. “If they decline, they will be given the opportunity to vote provisionally.”
8:00 a.m. Sedgwick County Election Commissioner Angela Caudillo was on hand for the polls opening at 7 a.m. at Westlink Church of Christ, 10025 W. Central Ave., where lines were running smooth and most voters were able to get in and out in 10 to 15 minutes.
Caudillo urged voters to remember that polls are busiest before 8 a.m., during the noon hour and after 5 p.m. However, if you are in line to vote by 7 p.m. you will be allowed to vote even after polls officially close. She also urged voters to bring water and be mindful of the heat today while out voting. Wichita is under a Heat Advisory today with a high of 103.
