Early voting spikes across KC for the 2026 midterms
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Early voting is surging in Johnson County, with a roughly 68% increase in in-person ballots cast compared with the same point in the 2022 midterms.
The big picture: The jump signals strong participation in this year's elections amid consequential decisions in Kansas and Missouri, though it remains to be seen if overall turnout will increase or if voters are simply casting their ballots sooner.
By the numbers: Johnson County recorded 77,937 in-person early votes through Saturday, compared with 46,345 during the same period in 2022.
- Nearly half of the early ballots were cast by registered Democrats, while roughly 37% were cast by Republicans and 13% by independents.
- The county estimates that just under 20% of registered voters had voted as of Friday.
Kansas City Election Board director Lauri Ealom says voters in the city are also turning out in higher numbers for early voting, with more than 10,000 ballots cast so far at in-person locations, not including mail-in ballots.
- That's already more than the August midterm primary and on track to outpace the 2022 midterm general election, per KCEB data. Ealom says Missouri's ballot questions are driving turnout.
Zoom out: Roughly 20% of Kansas' total 2022 midterm turnout has voted early in this election, according to the University of Florida Election Lab's tracker.
- The share of early voters compared to 2022's turnout is even higher in other states with high-profile races, including Texas (54%), Georgia (46%) and North Carolina (42%).
- For Missouri, the tracker shows only St. Louis County reporting early voting numbers.
Go deeper: Here's how early voting works.