Voter turnout is usually low in primary elections, but an informal survey of our audience revealed three common reasons that Kansas Citians plan on casting their ballots on Aug. 5 in Missouri and Kansas.
When we took to social media and asked, “Do you plan to vote in the Aug. 5 primary? Why or why not?” most of you shot back answers in the affirmative, citing these reasons:
• Voting is an important right and privilege
• To chime in on specific candidates or measures
• A perception that local elections are more important than national contests
The few “no” answers we received were similar to this comment from Lynne Hermansen on Facebook: “I’m an independent in Kansas. I don’t get to vote in primaries.”
That’s partly true. According to the Kansas secretary of state’s office, unaffiliated voters, or independents, can’t vote in Republican or Democratic primaries, but they can vote in nonpartisan primary races or ballot measures if any exist during that election.
See more of the online conversation on our Facebook page.
Tell KCUR is part of an initiative to engage the community and shine a light on your experiences and opinions. We’ll ask a new question every week and then share your feedback on the air and online. See our arsenal of questions — and your answers.
