In case you haven’t been paying attention, the November general election ballot will be lengthy.
Besides state-level positions, including governor, attorney general, secretary of state and treasurer, the local ballot has several special questions, depending on your ZIP code:
*Emporia voters will vote on a 0.25-percent sales tax designed to fund a new public recreation facility near Jones Aquatic Center and renovations to Lee Beran Rec Center. A yes vote will approve the tax
*Emporia voters will also vote on 2 questions related to data centers. Separate yes votes on Question 2, worded to ban high-impact data centers for a decade, and Question 3, designed to ban battery energy storage systems, will halt efforts towards those projects
*Americus voters will vote on whether to ban data centers. A yes vote
*Patrons of USD 251 North Lyon County will vote on 2 questions. Separate yes votes will approve a nearly $26 million bond for a new high school in Americus and a better than $5 million bond for a new athletics complex near Americus
With the long list of special questions and the confusing language that’s often included, Lyon County Clerk and Election Officer Amie Jones urges residents to do their homework before they head to the polls.
Jones also says the information is available through Voter View, accessible online through the Kansas Secretary of State’s Office website. Guidance will not be available from Election Office staffers at your polling place.
Lyon County isn’t the only area county with special questions coming November 3:
*Council Grove has a recall of Mayor Ryan McDonald. A yes vote would remove McDonald from office
*Lebo has a 1-percent sales tax question for general needs and improvements. A yes vote would approve the tax
*Osage City has a 0.25-percent sales tax for acquisition, renovation, remodeling or other activities for USD 420 education facilities. A yes vote would approve the tax
All voters will decide on the Citizenship Voting Requirement Amendment to the Kansas Constitution. The proposed change says only US citizens are eligible to vote in Kansas. A yes vote will adjust the Constitution language to that end.
The end of the voter registration period Oct. 13, the start of the advance voting window Oct. 14 and Lyon County’s special offsite voter event Oct. 14-17 at the Fairgrounds Anderson Building comes with potential changes to mail ballot policy still very much in flux after recent court rulings. Jones says the current guidance for the upcoming general election is to follow the procedures from the primary back in August.
The general election is Nov. 3.
KVOE will have its Candidate Information page, courtesy Community National Bank, available soon.
