© 2024 KMUW
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Early Voting Underway In Sedgwick County, Numbers Down From 2008

Carla Eckels
/
KMUW/File Photo

Some voters in Wichita are taking advantage of casting their ballots early during this election cycle, but so far there hasn't been as many advanced voters in person as in 2008.

On the first day of voting Wednesday, Sedgwick County Election Commissioner Tabitha Lehman says the number of early voters was a little more than 400, about half as many as on the first day of advanced voting during the 2008 Presidential Election.  However, Lehman says voting by mail has significantly increased.

"In fact we are just shy of breaking 2008's record of all that we mailed out the entire election cycle and we still have over a week to mail those ballots," she says.

"More people are taking advantage of voting by mail but it just seems like so far, people are not showing up in as many numbers, as high of numbers for in person voting but we expect next week when our satellite sites open up, that will increase."

The ballot, which is about 8 pages, includes a constitutional amendment on watercraft taxation and for Wichita voters only, a question about fluoridation.

Advanced voting at satellite sites in Sedgwick County begins October 30. Election day is November 6.

Carla Eckels is Director of Organizational Culture at KMUW. She produces and hosts the R&B and gospel show Soulsations and brings stories of race and culture to The Range with the monthly segment In the Mix. Carla was inducted into The Kansas African American Museum's Trailblazers Hall of Fame in 2020 for her work in broadcast/journalism.