With the August primary complete, Missouri and Kansas ballots are set for the November general election. And even if you tend to skip municipal or primary elections, you might be planning a trip to the polls.
Voters tend to come out for presidential elections. In 2020, the Kansas City Election Board reported a 60% voter turnout rate, which decreased to just below 40% in the 2022 midterm elections and under 20% in the August 2024 primary elections.
But on both sides of the state line, election officials regularly remove inactive voters from their rolls. While some are removed because they died, moved or committed a felony, some individuals are purged because they haven’t recently participated in an election.
According to the nonprofit think tank Movement Advancement Project, the practice of removing voters because of inactivity “has a disproportionate impact on voters from historically underrepresented backgrounds.”
If you are one of the more than 100,000 Kansas City area voters who hasn’t voted since 2022, here is what you need to know about the November election.
Who might need to re-register in KS or MO?
If you don‘t vote in every election, you might be absent from the voter rolls, even if you haven’t moved.
In Missouri, voters who didn’t vote in the last general election , which was the 2022 midterm, might be labeled as inactive. That puts them at risk of being purged from the voter rolls. Missouri might decide you’re an inactive voter if you move without providing a forwarding address to the U.S. Postal Service or don’t respond to a notice from the election office within 30 days.
Keep a lookout for a postcard from your election board or a door-to-door visitor asking you to confirm your registration. If you haven’t voted since before the 2020 election , you might need to register again.
In Kansas, county election officials can contact voters after four years of inactivity. If you have not voted since the 2020 presidential election, you should check your registration.
What is the deadline to register to vote for the presidential election?
You have until October to register to vote in time for the November election in the Kansas City area.
In Kansas, the deadline to register to vote for the Nov. 5 election is Tuesday, Oct. 15. You can check your voter status on the Kansas Secretary of State website.
To vote in the presidential election in Missouri, you must be registered to vote by Wednesday, Oct. 9. You can check your voter status on the Missouri Secretary of State website.
How do I register to vote in Kansas and Missouri?
In Kansas, you can either update your registration online — if you have a valid driver’s license or non-driver’s ID card — or mail a form to your election board.
To register to vote in Missouri, you’ll need to fill out a form and then mail it to your local election board.
When is the 2024 presidential election?
Americans will go to the polls on Tuesday, Nov. 5, for the 2024 general election to choose the next president.
Find information on candidates on the 2024 KC Voter Guide , created by The Star and partner nonprofit newsrooms.
Have more questions about voting in the Kansas City area? Ask the Service Journalism team at kcq@kcstar.com .
Local Kansas State
Most Popular
Comments / 0