31 July 2023
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — Polling locations around Sedgwick County gearing up for the 2023 primary election on Tuesday, Aug. 1.
The voter turnout is expected to be slightly larger than in the last two mayoral elections. The total early voter turnout is 5.9%, with 15,460 ballots received in-person and through mail.
The commissioner expects that number to double, adding in Tuesday’s in-person voting. The total predicted turnout is 12%. In 2019, 10.9% of people came out to vote. It was 9.8% in the 2015 Mayoral Election.
The election commissioner says the polls this year are fully staffed, with more than 500 poll workers spread out through 62 polling locations. Last year, there were 83 sites open and only 405 election workers.
“I would much rather be overstaffed than understaffed, for sure. This being my first election, I wanted it to be a successful election for me and my staff. So we aired on the side of caution and are adequately giving more workers to each polling site so that we don’t have the lines,” explains Sedgwick County Election Commissioner Laura Rainwater.
It’s a different story compared to last year’s election.
“We were working non-stop. Never got to sit down. So, one thing I’ve learned is how to do all of this,” said six-year poll worker Joe Abbott.
Abbott and many other poll workers balance many positions on election day. He says workers have missed out on lunch breaks in years past. Having extra hands is a help to the workers.
“The smaller elections are a good time to train new poll workers. There are so many different things that can happen during the election. The different types of votes that come through, whether it be paper, provisional or using the machine,” said Abbott.
Training during small elections prepares the county for busier ones to come.
“We’re going to need an additional 200 election workers for November just because we are going to have more polling sites open, so we are actively recruiting for that election,” explains Rainwater.
While about 90% of poll workers return for each election, training is an important aspect of timely voting.
“We only go through this once or twice a year. You can never get enough training, and it’s good to go through the training and just to have a refresher because you forget,” says Rainwater.
The county elections office expects voters to get in and out in under three minutes on Tuesday. Polls will open at 6 a.m., and people can get in line until 7 p.m.