Posted inElections, Kansas State Government

‘It puts a knot in my stomach’: What the governor’s race means for trans Kansans

Kristena Shiflett, a Wichita mom of four, worries about the outcome of next week’s election, particularly the Kansas governor’s race.  She is especially worried about policies that would restrict the rights of transgender students like her child, who attends a public high school in Wichita, and what it might mean to lose the only person […]

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

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, Kansas State Government

Kansas will be the first state to vote on abortion after Roe. Here’s how we got here.

When the U.S. Supreme Court issued its decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization on June 24, the court not only repealed federal constitutional protections for abortion by overturning Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey, it shifted the battle over abortion rights to the states.  Kansas is the first battleground.  Voters here […]

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