To protect the safety of Kansas Democrats during the Coronavirus Pandemic, the Kansas Democratic Party will conduct its 2020 Presidential Primary completely by mail. Instead of the May 2 planned primary, all registered Democrats will be mailed a primary ballot which they need to mail back so that it is received by May 2.
KDP officials said over 10% of the polling locations originally secured as in-person sites independently cancelled their contract due to safety concerns about in-person voting in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.
“Removing our in-person voting locations for the 2020 Primary was an extremely difficult decision to make but the unprecedented gravity of COVID-19 has required significant changes to our operations to ensure the safety of all Kansans during this electoral process,” wrote Vicki Hiatt, Chair of the Kansas Democratic Party.
Recognizing that this is a significant change to the electoral process. The Party said they’re committed to ensuring a fair and transparent primary.
“Kansas was already well-positioned for this pandemic due to our vote-by-mail component and we are confident that the changes we have made to our schedule will expand the accessibility of this process for all voters who would like to participate in the 2020 Primary election,” continued Hiatt.
To adapt to these changes, on March 30, all registered Democrats in Kansas will automatically be mailed an official 2020 Democratic Presidential Primary ballot, along with a secrecy sleeve and return envelope to enclose and return their ballot. Ballots are pre-paid and do not require a stamp.
On April 7, 2020, the Kansas Democratic Party will send a supplemental ballot mailing to recently- registered Democrats who were not included in the March 30th mailing.
The KDP is continuing to advise those interested in participating in the 2020 Primary to register as a Democrat as soon as possible through www.ksvotes.org to make sure they are automatically mailed a ballot.
If you are a registered Democrat and have not received your ballot by April 10, you can request another mail-in ballot until April 24, 2020 by calling the KDP office or filling out an online form at: https://kansasdems.org/request-mail-ballot. The mail-in ballot request form will not be available online until April 10, 2020 to ensure adequate time for ballots to be delivered by mail.
Voters should follow the instructions included with their ballots and mail their ballot so that it is received by May 2, 2020.
The KDP will begin processing ballots as they are received at our headquarters. The KDP will plan on releasing results as soon as they are available through our website, social media channels and to the press.