By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT
Hays Post
For just the third time ever and the first time since 1992, Kansas residents will get a chance to cast their vote in a presidential primary election.
Previously Kansans took part in presidential caucuses, but last year, the Kansas Legislature approved House Bill 2053 implementing a presidential preference primary, which will be on March 19, 2024.
According to the Kansas Secretary of State’s website, a preference primary is, “an election where the vote totals are given to a political party to allocate delegates to candidates at the national convention. This is not a primary where the voters selected the party candidate.”
Kansas previously held presidential preference primary elections in 1980 and 1992.
The presidential primary season kicked off in Iowa on Jan. 15, followed by New Hampshire on Jan. 23 and South Carolina on Feb. 3. Super Tuesday is March 5 when more than a dozen states will have primaries, including Texas and California.
Unlike a presidential caucus where the candidate who receives the greatest number of votes is awarded the delegates, the results of the preferential primary are given to both political parties, Republican and Democrat, and then the party will award the delegates as they see fit.
While the primary will be in all 105 Kansas counties and run by each county election office, Ellis County Election Officer and Clerk Bobbi Dreiling said there are key differences between normal elections.
The first is the day the election is conducted. Typical elections are on the first Tuesday of the month, this year’s presidential preference primary is set for March 19, the third Tuesday in March.
The deadline to register to vote or change party affiliation is Feb. 20, 30 days before the election instead of the typical 21 days.
To take part in either the Republican or Democratic presidential primary, voters still have to be registered with that party's affiliation. Voters who are registered as Libertarians or the newly recognized No Labels Party cannot vote in the primary.
Unaffiliated voters have to declare a party, either Republican or Democratic, to take part in the primary. They can do so up to and including on Election Day, according to Dreiling.
Dreiling encouraged residents who have moved or changed their name since the last time they registered to vote to re-register with the clerk’s office.
Voters interested in voting by mail will also see a change. Dreiling said even though the books close on Feb. 20, her office has to wait to send out mail-in ballots.
“Feb. 28 will be the first day that advanced mail ballots get mailed,” Dreiling said. “The last day to ask for an application is Feb. 20.”
Another big difference between regular elections and the presidential preference primary is that mail-in ballots have to be returned to election offices on Election Day to be counted.
“So, make sure you mail your ballots in plenty of time, because whether they're postmarked on or before the election, if they come in on Wednesday or later in the week, they will not be counted,” Dreiling said. “All ballots must be received in my office by seven o'clock Election Day or be delivered to your polling location.”
Four candidates will appear on the Republican ballot, and four candidates will appear on the Democratic ballot.
Those candidates are:
Democrat candidates
Dean Phillips
Joseph R. Biden Jr.
Marianne Williamson
Jason Michael Palmer
Republican candidates
Donald J. Trump
Ryan L. Binkley
Nikki R. Haley
Ron DeSantis
Voters also have the option to choose "None of the Names Shown."
Ron DeSantis is on the Kansas ballot, but he has withdrawn from the race.
Sample ballots can be found below.
Each candidate paid a filing fee of $10,000 and registered with the Kansas Secretary of State’s office before Jan. 19 in order to appear on the ballot in Kansas.
Voters will cast their ballots at the regular polling location throughout Ellis County with the polls open on Election Day from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
According to Dreiling, early voting will start at the county clerk’s office, 718 Main St. in Hays, on March 4 and run from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays. Early voting will end at noon on March 18.
Also new this year will be the opportunity to cast an advanced ballot from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, March 16 at 718 Main St.
Voters can find a sample ballot at myvoteinfo.voteks.org, and people with questions are encouraged to contact your local election office.
