Why vote? Is public education important to you? Do you care about your property tax bill? Local elections impact your daily life in a way no other level of government does. Typically, around 20% of the registered voters take the time to vote in our local elections, which means a small percentage of our neighbors are deciding who will represent them on the school board and city commission. And every vote matters!

I was first elected to the Manhattan City Commission for a two-year term in 2005. When I ran again in 2007, the election ended in a tied vote. Jim Sherow and I had the exact same number of votes. Do you know how ties are decided in Kansas elections? With a coin toss! I called tails, it was heads, and I lost my seat. ONE VOTE would have made all the difference. This actually worked out well for me. I gave birth to my amazing son Kaiden in 2008 and then ran for re-election in 2009 and was elected to serve two more years on the commission.

YOUR VOTE MATTERS on November 4th! Get educated about the candidates and take the time to vote. For Riley County, advanced voting at the County Building (110 Courthouse Plaza) starts on October 15 th.

Here’s the advanced voting calendar:

• Wednesday, October 15 – Thursday, October 16 • 7:30 am – 5:00 pm
• Friday, October 17 • 7:30 am – Noon
• Monday, October 20 – Thursday, October 23 • 7:30 am – 5:00 pm
• Friday, October 24 • 7:30 am – Noon
• Monday, October 27 – Thursday, October 30 • 7:30 am – 7:00 pm
• Friday, October 31 • 7:30 am – Noon
• Saturday, November 1 • 8:00 am – Noon
• FINAL DAY: Monday, November 3 • 7:30 am – Noon

For Pottawatomie County voters, you can advance vote in Westmoreland.

Anyone can request a mail ballot with this PDF: https://www.sos.ks.gov/forms/Elections/AV1.pdf

Find your polling place here and VOTE on or before November 4th: https://myvoteinfo.voteks.org/VoterView