Voter turnout

Missouri lawmakers passed legislation in 2022 that established a photo ID requirement at the polls. The NAACP and voting rights group had sued, arguing that its intention was to disenfranchise large groups of people.

Missouri's legislature passed a law in 2022 allowing two weeks of "no excuse absentee" voting before Election Day. It's already proving popular, with turnouts approaching 20% of the total cast four years ago. Voters aren't dissuaded by the long wait times, though.

Southwest Kansas has the highest concentration of Latino residents in the state. But the area also has some of the lowest rates of people registered to vote and voter turnout. Young Latinos there are going back to the basics to try to get their communities more involved in politics.

Los demócratas han gozado durante mucho tiempo del apoyo de las organizaciones sindicales, pero muchos de sus afiliados ya no sienten lealtad a ningún partido. El representante del estado de Missouri, el republicano Bill Allen, y su oponente, la demócrata Shirley Mata, miembro del UAW, esperan ganarse a los votantes insatisfechos.

Aunque la población Latina de St. Louis y Missouri es todavía relativamente pequeña, está creciendo rápidamente. Los observadores políticos dicen que su voto podría ser cada vez más influyente en los años que vienen.

Though Missouri's Latino population is still relatively small, it’s growing rapidly. Political watchers say the vote could be increasingly influential in future elections, but reaching and convincing Latino voters is not simple.

Democrats have long enjoyed support from organized labor, but many union members don’t feel a party allegiance any more. Missouri state Rep. Bill Allen, a Republican, and his opponent, Democrat Shirley Mata, a UAW member, both hope to win over dissatisfied voters.

Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab, a Republican who serves as the state’s chief elections officer, told Postmaster General Louis DeJoy there was cause to be “extremely concerned” about “a troubling pattern that persists in the U.S. Postal Service’s processing and handling of ballots.”

Today is the primary for Missouri and Kansas, with a lot of critical races on the ballot. At polling places, election officials will be on hand to ensure everything goes smoothly for voters. We'll hear from two of them about what they do and why it's so important.

A growing number of young potential voters are increasingly frustrated by the politicians they have to choose from. One Kansas City resident says the age of candidates is a big reason why. Plus: Two years after Kansas lawmakers reshaped the state’s four congressional districts, there’s a scramble for an open seat in the 2nd District.

A young Waldo resident says he won’t vote for either presidential candidate this fall because he thinks they're too old. He believes the increasing age of candidates shows America’s political system does not serve young people. A growing number of voters under 30 agree with him.

In one corner of Wyandotte County, only about 3% of voters participated in the last election — and it's not because they don't care. Plus: We'll hear from a newly naturalized American citizen in Kansas City who's excited about their first chance to vote this year.