KANSAS CITY, Kan. — KSHB 41 reporter Charlie Keegan covers politics in Kansas, Missouri and at the local level. Share your story idea with Charlie.
—
From churches to political rallies, there's a concerted effort to get more Kansans to vote.
Pastors from several faiths announced plans Friday to hold marches to the polls on Halloween. The push comes as the Kansas Senate race between incumbent Republican Roger Marshall and Democrat Adam Hamilton remains neck and neck — a result that could decide which party controls the U.S. Senate.
WATCH | Examining how increased advance voting benefits Kansas candidates in U.S. Senate race
"Use the power you have. Don't keep it in your pocket. Use it," Bishop William Barber of Repairers of the Breach said.
Barber said the effort is deliberately focused on turnout, even if it isn't tied to a candidate.
"These marches are nonpartisan, and non violent, but they are not nonpolitical because we have to be concerned about who holds the levers of power," Barber said.
Early voting across Kansas has more than doubled at this point compared to the 2022 midterms.
Frank Ramirez is a Wyandotte County political insider. He helped run Christal Watson's mayoral campaign and Erik Murray's senate campaign. Ramirez himself considering a run for the Unified Government's Board of Commissioners next year.
Ramirez said historically more Democrats vote early, but the current surge is harder to read.
"I, honestly, believe it's kind of a crapshoot in terms of who it's specifically benefiting," Ramirez said.
Ramirez's take is that voters are placing less emphasis on party affiliation.
There are more people registered as unaffiliated than Democrats in Kansas. Republicans are the party with the most registered voters in the state.
"I think we're starting to see a constituency that is choosing the person over the party," Ramirez said. "Finding more value in the individual than the color they attach to the campaign which I think is incredibly valuable.”
For the clergy leading the marches, even a modest bump in turnout could prove decisive.
"Just a 10 to 15 percent increase can literally affect the margin of victory in every election," Barber said.
March details
Both marches take place at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 31.
- Johnson County: Participants will meet at Osage Park, 6300 W. 87th Street, Overland Park, and march to the Arts and Heritage Center polling site.
- Wyandotte County: The group will rally at El Centro Academy for Children at 1340 S. 30th Street in Kansas City, then march to the Argentine Community Center to vote.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
—
