Secretary of State Kris Kobach says the voting in yesterday’s primary election went smoothly across Kansas, with no significant problems. But one issue that remains is how many Kansans cast provisional ballots after a judge allowed 17,000 previously suspended voters to take part in the election.
The provisional ballots from those voters will be hand counted in the coming days. Kobach says he does not expect any issues handling those extra votes.
“In a big county like Shawnee or Johnson or Wyandotte, you’re going to have thousands of provisional ballots anyway. It’s not really a big deal if you have a few hundred more,” Kobach says.
It’s possible that an increased number of provisional ballots could change the outcome of a very close race, but Kobach says that’s unlikely.
Sedgwick County Election Commissioner Tabitha Lehman said at a news conference Tuesday night after polls had closed that no issues with provisional ballots had been reported. She said anyone whose name wasn't in the books at a poll location was given a provisional ballot and allowed to cast votes in all races.
Lehman says county commissioners will review provisional ballots on Aug. 8.
