Voter registration down in Douglas County

Voter registration is down in Douglas County compared with the last presidential election, according to preliminary and incomplete figures.

Currently there are 78,402 registeredvoters in Douglas County, compared with 84,440 in 2008.

The current number will increase some when mail-in registrations and those from the Department of Motor Vehicles are collected next week.

But those will probably not bring the current figure up to the 2008 level. Douglas County Clerk Jamie Shew said he expects probably about 1,000 more registrations will be added to the final tally.

“I will say we have not gotten the amount of registrations from the colleges as we got in 2008 which could explain the difference,” Shew said.

The deadline to register to vote expired Tuesday. Advance voting has started and continues through Nov. 5. Election Day is Nov. 6.

The breakdown of registered voters also has changed, according to the early figures.

From 2008 to now, Democrats fell from 29,141 to 27,118; Republicans fell from 24,632 to 22,653; and unaffiliated decreased from 28,816 to 27,820. The remaining numbers of registered voters included members of minor parties, which totaled less than 1,000.

Here’s the schedule for advance voting. Any Douglas County voter can cast a ballot at any of these sites.

Douglas County Courthouse, 11th and Massachusetts streets

• 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday-Friday.

• 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Oct. 22-26.

• 8 a.m.-7 p.m. Oct. 29-Nov. 2.

• Additional hours at the courthouse will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 27 and Nov. 3. The last time for advance voting at the courthouse is 8 a.m. to noon Nov. 5.

Brandon Woods Smith Center, 4730 Brandon Woods Terrace

• 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Oct. 29-Nov. 2.

Building 21 at Douglas County Fairgrounds, 2110 Harper St.

• 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Oct. 29-Nov. 2.

Drive Room at Kansas University Burge Union, 1601 Irving Hill Road

• 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Oct. 29-Nov. 1.

Lecompton City Hall, Eudora Recreation Center and Baldwin City Fire Department

• 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Oct. 27 and Nov. 3.