Posted inElections, Kansas State Government

Changes to checks and balances: What these constitutional amendments could mean for Kansas

Kansans may have seen postcards in their mailbox, videos in their Facebook feed or commercials on television admonishing voters to support House Concurrent Resolution 5014, a proposed constitutional amendment listed on the November ballot as Constitutional Question 1.  But while the ads are long on platitudes, they’re short on specifics, leaving many Kansas voters to […]

Posted inElections, Kansas State Government

Who are the Kansas judges on the November ballot?

Elections for high-profile judicial positions like state Supreme Court justices get a lot of attention, and for good reason. The court issues consequential decisions on fundamental questions of democracy, like redistricting and abortion rights, so there’s a lot at stake.  But nearly everyone who interacts with the courts only ever does so at the trial […]

Posted inElections, State Government

Follow the money: Here’s how to research Kansas campaign finance reports

Follow the money, they say.  Ever since the Watergate scandal, when then-President Richard Nixon’s reelection campaign funded a 1972 break-in and wiretap at the Democratic National Committee headquarters in the Watergate complex in Washington, D.C., the phrase “follow the money” has been shorthand to describe the often fraught relationship between campaign donations and political influence.  […]

Posted inElections

Predicting the unpredictable: Was Kansas prepared for unprecedented voter turnout?

Historic voter turnout in the Aug. 2 primary surprised even the state’s chief election officer. Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab announced four days before the election that he predicted a 36% voter turnout, or around 700,000 voters.  Historically, midterm primaries draw 20% to 25% of voters. Schwab’s prediction padded that number by about 50% […]

Posted inElections

Predicting the unpredictable: Was Kansas prepared for unprecedented voter turnout?

Historic voter turnout in the Aug. 2 primary surprised even the state’s chief election officer. Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab announced four days before the election that he predicted a 36% voter turnout, or around 700,000 voters.  Historically, midterm primaries draw 20% to 25% of voters. Schwab’s prediction padded that number by about 50% […]

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