Johnson County, Kansas – Election officials rolled up their sleeves on Wednesday, the day after the midterm election, to lock and seal voting machines, move ballots into secure storage and begin the painstaking work of finalizing results.
Record turnout and swift unofficial results
Commissioner Connie Schmidt said Tuesday’s election produced the third‑highest voter turnout in Johnson County history, surpassed only by the 2020 and 2024 presidential elections. The county was able to release unofficial final results by about 11 p.m. on Tuesday, covering all precincts, advance in‑person voting and advance‑by‑mail ballots.
Adding military and provisional ballots
On Wednesday the team added military ballots to the count. Mail‑in ballots will be included in the final totals as long as they arrive at the election office by Friday and are postmarked by Nov. 3. Johnson County also received roughly 6,000 provisional ballots – ballots cast when a voter’s eligibility is in question. Those provisional ballots have not yet been added to the totals; the county’s canvassing board will decide their fate on Nov. 13.
Schmidt explained that some provisional ballots may be counted if voters provide the required documentation, while others could be discarded if eligibility cannot be confirmed. “You don’t know how many of those provisionals we all have will be recommended to be counted. So if the race is close, it could change,” she said, urging the public to watch for the official certified results.
Close‑race audit and recount timeline
The state has triggered an automatic close‑race audit in three statewide contests. Under the audit, each county must hand‑count the results from 10 % of its precincts and compare them to the machine totals from election night. Johnson County already audits 1 % of precincts as a routine practice, and Schmidt does not anticipate the additional work to be burdensome.
The deadline for any candidate to request a recount is 5 p.m. on Nov. 17. Schmidt noted that the county has a contingency plan for a full countywide recount, with 300 poll workers on standby, should a candidate invoke that option.
Looking ahead to certified results
Schmidt expects the county to complete its final certified results by Nov. 16, after all mail‑in and provisional ballots are processed and the close‑race audit is finished. Voters are encouraged to stay informed through the county’s official website for updates on the certification process.
“We felt pressure for a long time on this election,” Schmidt said, noting the high‑profile U.S. Senate race. “We have developed a plan several weeks ago on how to do a countywide recount. We have that in place.”
Original reporting: KSHB 41 Kansas City (local) — read the source article.
