photo by: Kim Callahan/Journal-World

Lines of voters had begun to form midday on Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024 at the Douglas County Election office near 23rd and Louisiana streets. This was the first day of advance voting in Douglas County.

Douglas County is on track to see its highest-ever number of early voters for this year’s election, approaching its record just one week before Election Day.

County Clerk Jamie Shew told the Journal-World that there have been 11,805 in-person advance voters so far. He said the county was likely to surpass its previous record for advance voting, which is around 16,000 votes.

“We’re at almost 12,000 now, so we’ll be past that,” Shew said.

Additionally, Shew said that the election’s office has sent out a total of 14,388 ballots by mail and has received 6,201 from county voters.

This election season, Kansans have been urged to get their ballots in early by prominent officials, including Secretary of State Scott Schwab, the state’s top election official. As Kansas Reflector has reported, Schwab has pointed to mail ballots in previous elections that weren’t counted because they lacked a postmark, and he has specifically been pushing for voters to deliver their ballots by hand to ballot drop boxes whenever possible.

State law allows mail ballots that arrive by Nov. 8 to be counted as long as they were postmarked on or before Election Day, Nov. 5, but Schwab has advised people voting by mail to send their ballots well before that.

Voters interested in in-person advance voting must bring their photo ID at the following locations:

* County Election Office, 711 W. 23rd St., Lawrence – Oct. 29 to Nov. 1 – 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturday, Nov. 2 – 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Last day for advance voting, Monday, Nov. 4 – 8 a.m. to noon.

* Douglas County Fairgrounds at Flory Meeting Hall, 2120 Harper St., Lawrence – Oct. 29 to Nov. 1 – 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

* St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church, 5700 W. Sixth St., Lawrence – Oct. 29 to Nov. 1 – 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

* Lied Center Pavilion, 1600 Stewart Drive, Lawrence – From Oct. 29 to Nov. 1 – 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., except on Wednesday, when ballots will be accepted until 5 p.m.

* Eudora City Hall, 4 E. Seventh St., Eudora – Saturday, Nov. 2 – 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

* Baldwin City Library, 803 Eighth St., Baldwin City – Saturday, Nov. 2 – 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Voters can also drop their advance ballot in a marked drop box. The boxes will be locked at 7 p.m. on Election Day and can be found at the following locations:

* Douglas County Courthouse, 1100 Massachusetts St., Lawrence.

* Douglas County Clerk and Election Office, 711 W. 23rd St., Lawrence.

* Treasurer Satellite-South Lawrence Office, 2000 West 31st St., Lawrence.

* Douglas County Fairgrounds – Flory Meeting Hall, 2120 Harper St., Lawrence.

* Golf Course Superintendents Building, 1421 Research Park Drive, Lawrence.

* Baldwin City Hall, 803 Eighth St., Baldwin City.

* Eudora City Hall, 4 E. Seventh St., Eudora.

* Lecompton City Hall, 327 Elmore St., Lecompton.

County residents can look up their polling location for Election Day, Nov. 5, at the county’s website. Polling places in Douglas County are equipped with private voting booths and materials, as well as assistance items for voters. Staffed by poll workers, these locations offer support throughout the voting process. On Election Day, polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at various sites across the county.