Election officials working to keep voters safe

With the COVID-19 pandemic happening all around us, concerns on how it will affect our upcoming elections are being discussed. Election Officials around our State are working to keep our voters and poll workers safe on election day.
To make it easier and safer for voters to cast their ballots in the 2020 Elections, all active registered voters on June 1, 2020, in Cloud County with a party affiliation of Democratic, Republican or Unaffiliated, will be receiving an Advance Ballot Application shortly thereafter. The June 1 date was selected as that is the date that if you are registered Democrat or Republican you cannot change your party affiliation until after the August 4, 2020, Primary.
Any voter who has an Unaffiliated status will receive a Voter Registration Form to fill out along with their Advance Ballot Application. The Voter Registration Form will only need to be filled out and returned if you wish to have a ballot mailed to your home, and if, after June 1, 2020, you are registered as Unaffiliated. If you are uncertain of your status you can visit www.ksvotes.org or contact the Cloud County Election office at 785-243-8110.
Current law allows advance voting in a primary election for any registered voter as long as a party affiliation is designated. There are more voters taking advantage of advance voting each election for many reasons, such as they are going to be out of town, they like the ability to study their choices in the privacy of their home, or they just want to get their vote cast to have it done. Getting the Advance Ballot Application filled out and returned is the first step to receive a ballot.
The submitted Advance Ballot Application will be kept on file until ballots can be mailed out on July 15, 2020, (October 14 for the General Election). The ballot will be sent out in a special envelope designed for advance voting, with a return envelope and instructions. The voter will put the voted ballot in the return envelope, put return postage on it and put it in the mail. The voter can also drop the sealed ballot off to the Cloud County Clerk / Election office at 811 Washington, Concordia.
When the envelopes are returned to the election office, the signature on the back of the envelope will be matched to the signature on the voter's registration record. If there is no signature on the return envelope, the voter will be contacted by the election office to make arrangements to have the envelope signed.
Law does not allow us to mail the envelope and ballot back to the voter once it is received.
After the signature verification, the sealed envelope is stored in a locked box until election night when a special advance board meets to separate the ballot from the envelope, and finally, the ballots are fed into a machine just like at your polling location.
Advance voting is OPTIONAL! If you wish to vote at the polls on election day, please do so. You may also vote in the Cloud County Clerk / Election Office from Wednesday, July 15, 2020, until noon Monday, August 3, 2020, (October 14 — November 2 at noon for the General). Voting in person does not require an Advance Ballot Application.
An Advance Ballot Application is required for both the 2020 Primary Election and the 2020 General Election, with the exception of Permanent Advance Voting. Permanent Advance Voting is reserved for Kansans with a permanent disability, and are required to list the nature of their permanent disability or illness. The Application for Permanent Advance Voting is required to be submitted only once.
Voters do not have to wait until we mail information to you in June. You can visit www.ksvotes.org now and check your registration or request a ballot by mail for one or both 2020 elections. If you prefer to print the application, you can visit www.sos.ks.gov/forms//elections/AV1.pdf.
Registered Voters who submit an Advance Ballot Application prior to June 1 will not receive applications in the mail for the 2020 Elections from our office. Applications must be received in the Election office by 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 28 (October 27 for the General Election) and ballots must be returned to the Election Office or a polling location by 7:00 p.m. on Election night or postmarked on Election day and received by the following Friday.

Election officials working
to keep voters safe