Johnson County voters showed remarkable civic engagement in the November 2026 midterm election, delivering the third‑highest turnout in the county’s history, according to County Election Commissioner Connie Schmidt.
Turnout numbers break records
Schmidt said a total of 298,141 ballots were cast, representing a 62.4% participation rate. Only the 2020 presidential election (350,750 ballots) and the 2024 presidential election (348,594 ballots) have surpassed this figure. “Almost 300,000 ballots were counted, and I’ve gotta believe we’ll have over 300,000 when we count the provisional, which is pretty amazing,” Schmidt remarked during the post‑election canvass that began Friday.
Provisional ballot breakdown
The canvass also detailed the status of provisional ballots. Of the 6,813 provisional votes submitted, 4,474 were recommended for full counting, 791 were slated for partial counting, and 1,548 were recommended to be excluded.
The most common reason for exclusion was lack of voter registration; 1,174 provisional voters fell into this category. Schmidt noted that those individuals were offered registration forms to ensure eligibility for future elections.
Partially counted ballots primarily involved voters who arrived at the wrong polling place and cast ballots that included districts where they do not reside. The ballots recommended for full counting generally involved voters who corrected ballot information on site or presented acceptable identification.
Impact on close races
County auditors reviewed three close statewide contests and two tight state House races that include Johnson County precincts. The audits did not alter the unofficial winners.
In the Kansas governor’s race, Democrat Cindy Holscher was declared the victor on Thursday. The two competitive House districts that encompass Johnson County remained within a narrow margin on Friday morning. According to unofficial totals from the Secretary of State’s office, Democrat Sara Kiewiet leads incumbent Republican Sean Tarwater by just 53 votes in House District 27. In House District 117, Democrat Brandon Holland holds a 142‑vote advantage over incumbent Republican Adam Turk.
Next steps
County Commissioners will reconvene on Monday to finalize the provisional ballot count and certify the official election results. The strong turnout underscores the community’s commitment to participating in the democratic process, even in a non‑presidential election year.
Original reporting: Johnson County Post (Overland Park) — read the source article.
