Twenty-one Johnson County elected officials have signed a letter asking Johnson County Election Commissioner Connie Schmidt to reinstate eight advance voting sites for this year’s general election.
The same eight sites are slated to be closed during the Aug. 4 primary.
The names of those who signed the letter include Democratic U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids and the three Democratic gubernatorial candidates from Johnson County, Ethan Corson, Cindy Holscher and Curt Skoog.
“The recent closure of early voting locations undermines the very foundation of democracy—free and accessible participation in the electoral process,” the letter reads. “When access to the ballot is reduced, so is the promise that every eligible voter can meaningfully exercise their right to vote.”
The signees also include several Democratic state legislators, county commissioners Becky Fast and Julie Brewer, two city councilmembers each from Olathe, Overland Park and Westwood and Westwood Mayor David Waters.
The eight shuttered sites are in those three cities, plus one in Leawood. (No Leawood officials signed the letter.)
Read the full letter:
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Open in new tab Not the first public criticism of the move
Schmidt has received public backlash for the decision that would reduce the overall the number of early in-person voting sites by six.
County Commission Chair Mike Kelly, whose name is not attached to this most recent letter, sent his own separate letter of concern earlier this month, as did the American Civil Liberties Union.
As with this prior criticism, this latest letter says eliminating early voting sites would make it harder to vote in Kansas’s most populous county, where advanced in-person voting is increasingly popular.
The letter points out that nearly 19% of early in-person votes cast in the last federal election in 2024 were cast at the eight eliminated sites.
Protesters earlier this month also lined up outside the election office in Olathe to show their displeasure over the closures, which they say will place hurdles in disadvantaged neighborhoods where residents already face transportation and other barriers.
That was a sentiment repeated in the latest letter from elected leaders.
“These closures were implemented in a county that relies heavily on advance voting and without opportunity for public input, placing disproportionate burdens on low-income voters, voters of color, elderly voters, voters with disabilities, and communities with limited access to transportation,” the letter says.
Why close the sites?
Schmidt has defended the cuts, saying the new, smaller lineup of polling places is more evenly spaced throughout the county and more consistent.
The sites will all have the same hours of operation and be open on the same days. In elections past, early polling places were not all open on the same days and for the same hours.
She also noted that her voting plan doubles the number of secure drop boxes to which voters can return advance ballots.
The plan also adds new early in-person voting locations in De Soto and Spring Hill, two quickly growing areas of the county. (With 8 sites eliminated, though, the overall number of early voting sites is reduced by 6.)
Who signed the letter
The new letter commends Schmidt for adding more ballot drop boxes, emphasizing uniformity and expanded hours for early voting.
But it concludes by saying election practices should remain “fair, accessible, and inclusive.”
“Accordingly, we respectfully request that all advance voting locations be reinstated for the 2026 General Election to ensure all voters retain practical and equitable access to the ballot,” the letter says.
The signers are:
- U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids
- Dinah Sykes, Kansas Senate Democratic Leader
- Brandon Woodard, Kansas House Democratic Leader
- Ethan Corson, Kansas senator and Democratic gubernatorial candidate
- Cindy Holscher, Kansas senator and Democratic gubernatorial candidate
- Curt Skoog, Overland Park mayor and Democratic gubernatorial candidate
- Democratic state Reps. Linda Featherston, Mari-Lynn Poskin, Rui Xu, Heather Meyer, Dan Osman and Nikki McDonald
- Johnson County commissioners Becky Fast and Julie Brewer
- Olathe City Council members Kevin Deneault and Matthew Schoonover
- Overland Park council members Richard Borlaza and Drew Mitrisin
- Westwood City Council members Steph Becker and Spencer Day,
- and Westwood Mayor David Waters.
