Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab Announces Primary Election Voter Turnout Estimate

Friday, August 2, 2024

TOPEKA – Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab today announced the voter turnout estimate for the August 6 primary election. This estimate is based on turnout data from previous primary election cycles in 2022, 2020, 2018, and 2016.

Each election year presents a unique set of circumstances, Schwab said. For example, within the past four election cycles, a constitutional amendment and contested statewide races drove turnout, and an election was conducted during a pandemic.

“Over the past decade, it has been observed that competitive races and compelling issues significantly drive voter turnout,” Schwab said.

Thus far, there have been 64,515 ballots cast in the 2024 primary election cycle during advance voting. That is 124,283 fewer ballots cast than in 2022 and 125,259 fewer than in 2020.

The last year Kansas saw a similar election was in 2016, which was a low turnout election. There were approximately 411,000 voters who participated, equaling 24% turnout.

"I encourage Kansas voters to prove history wrong by beating the 2016 comparison numbers,” Schwab said. “We should exceed 2016, but Kansans must go vote!”

Note: To put the 2024 primary election in historical context, an attached Excel sheet includes voter turnout data form previous primary election cycles in 2022, 2020, 2018, and 2016.

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