Advance voting began Wednesday morning throughout Kansas for the Aug. 6 primary election.

But the state’s top election official doesn’t expect any record voter turnouts.

“I travel the state and see people and go to a lot of coffee shops,” said Sec. of State Ron Thornburgh. “I don’t see a lot of interest in the primary election right now. I’m somewhat concerned as to what that means to the turnout on Aug. 6.”

Thornburgh declined to make a specific voter turnout prediction. But part of the reason for the lower interest could be that the campaigning got off to a late start because of a court challenge to new congressional districts drawn up by the Kansas Legislature, he said.

Because of the redistricting lawsuit, advance voting, which was supposed to start a week ago, was delayed until Wednesday morning.

Thornburgh said advance voting makes it easier for people to find the time to vote.

“The days of saying that it’s too hard to vote is far behind us,” he said.

This fall, all of the top state leadership positions will be up for grabs, including governor, attorney general, insurance commissioner, state treasurer, secretary of state and all the 125 legislative positions.

“We’re looking at dramatic changes in the state of Kansas and it’s important for everyone to participate.”

In Douglas County, six people had voted during the first two hours of advance voting, said Patty Jaimes, county clerk.

A voting booth has been set up in the county commission chambers on the courthouse’s second floor. Voting hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Advance voting will probably be available the Saturday before the election, but Jaimes said she has not yet set the times.

To participate in advance voting, registered voters fill out an application form, sign a roster and are given a ballot. Those ballots are opened after the polls close at 7 p.m. on election night.

There are about 300 people, mostly people with disabilities who have trouble making it to the polls, are on a list of permanent advance voters, who are mailed ballots to their homes, she said. Those ballots will go in the mail today.

There are also a couple of new precincts in the city where there are too few voters to open up a polling place for the election. Those people will also be mailed ballots today.

Those ballots must be received at the courthouse by 7 p.m. election night.

About 10 percent of the people who actually vote in elections use advance ballots, she said.

Jaimes said the turnout during the primary for last governor’s election four years ago was 25.9 percent. In the 2000 presidential election year, Republican turnout was 38 percent in the county, while 17.7 percent of registered Democrats voted.