photo by: Kim Callahan/Journal-World

The Douglas County Elections Office on West 23rd Street is pictured on July 13, 2022.

Canvassing of the Aug. 2 primary election results in Douglas County confirmed on Monday a record-breaking voter turnout.

In total, canvassers counted 47,657 ballots. That’s 58.5% of the county’s 81,418 registered voters — and significantly more than the 29,028 ballots cast in the last primary election in 2020.

Even on the night of the election, Douglas County Clerk Jamie Shew told the Journal-World turnout was “off the charts” compared with typical primary elections. That night, Shew was already estimating that turnout might have reached around 40,000 ballots cast.

The month prior, after early voting began, Shew said it was clear that the high turnout was because of the proposed constitutional amendment on abortion on the ballot. Kansas voters ultimately rejected the amendment by double-digit percentage points, which means the state constitution continues to protect the right to an abortion.