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'It’s Extremely Important': Sedgwick County Officials, Voters Prepare For Local Elections

Carla Eckels
/
KMUW
Voter Rhonda Cox stresses the importance of voting in municipal elections.

Early voting in Sedgwick County wrapped up at noon on Monday at the Election Office in downtown Wichita.

Sedgwick County Election Commissioner Tabitha Lehman says the number of people who voted on the Monday before Election Day has increased over the past few years.

“We’ve had about 108, 109 voters today, so it’s been going pretty well," Lehman said. "It’s not as big as a large election, but it’s pretty good for a city, school election.”

Credit Carla Eckels / KMUW
/
KMUW
Tabitha Lehman says the number of people who voted on the Monday before Election Day has increased over the past few years.

Lehman said that in 2013, about 60 voters cast their ballots on the Monday before Election Day. Her office  compares 2017 numbers to the similar 2013 election because the 2015 local election included the Wichita mayor’s race, which Lehman says boosted voter turnout.

This year, voters will choose who will fill the open seats on the school board as well as on the Wichita City Council.

Wichita resident Rhonda Cox cast her ballot early. She said people must make it a priority to vote in local elections.

"It’s extremely important to vote, especially in these municipal elections because these are the ones that are actually going to affect you the most," Cox said. "The City Council will allocate finances and monies to various different projects and, of course, your school board is extremely important."

Lehman said voters should go to their designated polling sites on Election Day. Find your polling site here or on the Sedgwick County mobile app.

Polls in Sedgwick County will open at 6:00 a.m. and close at 7:00 p.m.

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Carla Eckels is interim news director and the host of Soulsations. Follow her on Twitter @Eckels.

 
To contact KMUW News or to send in a news tip, reach us at news@kmuw.org.

 

Carla Eckels is Director of Organizational Culture at KMUW. She produces and hosts the R&B and gospel show Soulsations and brings stories of race and culture to The Range with the monthly segment In the Mix. Carla was inducted into The Kansas African American Museum's Trailblazers Hall of Fame in 2020 for her work in broadcast/journalism.