Johnson County sets record number with advance voting

Hundreds of Johnson County residents cast their ballots in-person on Monday ahead of the Aug.

4 primary election.

TO MAKE THEIR VOICESHEARD.ADVANCED VOTINGKICKED OFF TODAY INKANSAS --WITH THE JOHNSONCOUNTY ELECTION OFFICESENDING OUT MORE THAN100-THOUSAND BALLOTS.41 ACTION NEWSREPORTER ARIELROTHFIELD EXPLAINS HOWTHIS SURGE ISCONNECTED TO THECORONAVIRUS.EVEN WITH THE RAIN,VOTERS IN JOHNSONCOUNTY TRICKLED INTOTHE ELECTION OFFICEONE AFTER ANOTHERAFTER ANOTHERShannon Wolcott/ VoterI had the day off and I thoughtI would just come out hereand voteMONDAY MARKED THEFIRST DAY IN KANSAS FORADVANCED IN-PERSONVOTINGAND THE FIRST BIG TESTFOR THE ELECTIONOFFICE,WHICH HAS BEENWORKING TO PREVENTLONG LINES ANDCROWDED POLLING SITESAS CORONAVIRUS CASESCONTINUE TO SOARConnie Schmidt/ Johnson CountyElection CommissionerSocial distancing, handsanitizer.

Everybody iswearing masks.

We have'sneeze shields' in betweenthem for the check-incounters.

We're wiping downall of the voting machines andthe portable booths betweeneach voter.

So everything wecan think of to make thevoters and the poll workersfeel safeTO MAKE IT EVEN SAFER ,IN MAY THE COUNTY SENTOUT APPLICATIONS FORMAIL-IN BALLOTS TOEVERY REGISTEREDVOTERENCOURAGING THEM TOVOTE BY MAIL OR IN-PERSON DURING THE TWOWEEKS LEADING UP TOTHE ELECTIONAriel Rothfield/ 41 Action NewsBetween in-person and mail-inadvance voting, the electionoffice believe they'll break arecord for this primaryConnie Schmidt/ Johnson CountyElection CommissionerWe've issued more than100,000 ballots by mailTHAT'S THE LARGESTNUMBER OF ADVANCEDBALLOTS IN AN AUGUSTPRIMARYAND MORE THAN THETOTAL VOTER TURNOUT INTHE 2008, 2012, AND THE2016 AUGUST ELECTIONSConnie Schmidt/ Johnson CountyElection CommissionerIf all of them are returned wewill have a very huge voterturnoutESPECIALLY WHEN PAIREDWITH THE NUMBER OFPEOPLE WHO CONTINUETO WALK THROUGH THEDOORWayne Gray/ VoterI figured it would be a goodtime to voteREPORTING WHENJOHNSON COUNTY.

ARIELROTHFIELD.

41 ACTIONNE