Johnson County’s in-person early voting started on October 17, with several of the eight polling locations seeing lines on Friday. The locations are open Saturdays from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. and Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.. The locations are open through October 31.

Early in-person voting is one option to enable people to vote safely, alongside mail-in voting.

Another way to vote early is to bring your ballot to one of the official drop off locations. However, voters should be aware that ballots that are not properly filled may not be accepted. Kansas voters can track their ballot and see if it was accepted in previous elections by visiting the Kansas Voter View page. The deadline to request a ballot to mail in or drop-off in Johnson County is Tuesday, October 27.

Name and address on a valid voting ID must match the name and address on voter registration. This requirement can lead to trans voters being disproportionately turned away at the polls, even though such a practice is illegal. While the photo on a valid voter ID must be able to identify the voter, voters cannot be turned away if the gender presentation in their ID photo appears different from their current gender presentation (nor are poll workers allowed to ask about transition information or medical information).

Transform the Vote, a trans voting rights group, recommends that trans individuals check their information on voter registration and consider voting by mail if possible. For those voting in person, Transform the Vote recommends bringing the voter registration card, ID, and a utility bill with address (that matches ID). They also offer a pamphlet that trans voters can show to poll workers if they are challenged.

One concern poll workers must prepare for is the risk of voter intimidation. This is something that voters can help protect against by either contacting their local election office, official staff at polling locations or by calling the Election Protection hotline at 866- 687-8683.