The state of Kansas is taking some time to recognize the importance of registering to vote.
While many tend to just vote in the general election in November, Tim Shaffer, Director of the Institute for Civic Discourse and Democracy at Kansas State, says getting registered ahead of the primary elections and placing your vote for local elections is just as important.
“But if you don’t participate in these processes and you aren’t showing up for these primary’s or in the election, or depending on when some of these things show up on ballots for these decisions, you really miss out on something that potentially shapes your life more dramatically than you might think,” Shaffer says.
Primary elections are set for August 2. Donna Schenck, League of Women Voters Representative, says this year in the primary vote there will be one constitutional amendment on the ballot.
“The title of it is, The Kansas No Right To Abortion in Constitution Amendment,” Schenck adds.
She adds that in the November elections there will be two other constitutional amendments.
“One is called the Kansas County Sheriff Election and Recall Amendment and the other one is the Kansas Legislative Veto or Suspension of Executive Action Regulation Amendment.”
Shaffer says as a member of society we are required to be engaged in some form.
“Democracy is fundamentally based on people having voice in agency,” Shaffer says. “Voting, in many ways, is kind of a baseline of what that means and what that looks like when we think about being engaged.”
Voter Registration Day in Kansas is recognized on April 12.
To learn more on how to get registered, visit voteks.org.
If you are already registered, become an informed voter by visiting vote411.org to see what will be coming across your ballot this year.
