A Pottawatomie County official is expecting an increased voter turnout for the 2020 general election, which will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 3.
According to Nancy McCarter, Pottawatomie County clerk, they are already seeing increased mail-in ballot requests.
“It’s going to be a good turnout,” McCarter said. “I’m projecting at least 80 to 85 percent. Our last presidential (election) was 78 percent.”
McCarter also expects to see more in-person voters in 2020 than she did in the last presidential election, which saw about 1,300 Pottawatomie County residents show up to vote in person.
The Pottawatomie County Clerk’s Office will mail out about 3,400 ballots on Oct. 14. This is when advanced voting will begin and is statutorily the earliest ballots can be mailed out.
During KMAN’s episode of In Focus Tuesday, McCarter responded to concerns over the security of mail-in ballots.
She says it is a secure process that has been in place for a while.
“Mailing ballots is not new,” McCarter said. “We’ve been mailing ballots since I’ve been here for 23 years. People can call and make sure their ballot was delivered. We are going to set up a drop box outside the building if you don’t feel confident mailing it back.”
McCarter says there are also options for those who are concerned that their mail-in ballot will not make it to the Clerk’s Office.
“If you feel like your ballot got lost in the mail and your vote isn’t going to count, come and vote provisional,” McCarter said. “If your (mail-in) ballot never shows up, your provisional ballot will count. And you can (also) drop your advanced ballot off at a polling place.”
Voter registration closes on Oct. 13 and advanced voting begins on Oct. 14.
At nearly 17,000 registrants, Pottawatomie County currently has the most registered voters it has ever had. McCarter attributes this in part to Pottawatomie County having a growing population.
Those wanting to request a ballot must do so by Oct. 27 at noon.
For more information about voting in Pottawatomie County, visit pottcounty.org.
To find general information about voter registration or voting in Kansas, visit kssos.org.
