KANSAS CITY, Mo. — UPDATE 9:50a.m. | Power has been restored to the building. Voters are casting ballots as normal. Evergy says overnight storms cased severe damage and a power outage near 96th & Blue Ridge Boulevard about 4 a.m. taking down tree limbs, a power pole and power lines. Several customers in the neighborhood, including the church lost power. Power was restored to the church about 9:30, and Evergy crews remain on scene and are working to restore power to the remaining customers.
UPDATE 9:20 a.m. | The Kansas City Election Board says voters are casting ballots at the Blue Ridge Church of Christ. There is still no power to the building, and it's a little dark, but the location is open. Some voters are using lights on their phones for assistance. The election machines have an 8 hour battery backup and are operating. Voters can vote at the location, or they can go to another location to cast their ballot. Evergy crews are in the area working to restore power as soon as possible.
ORIGINAL STORY |A power outage has impacted voters at the Blue Ridge Church of Christ early Tuesday morning.
As the Kansas City Election Board began work at 5 a.m. they learned that power was out at the Blue Ridge Church of Christ at 9603 Blue Ridge Boulevard voting location.
Initial reports were that Evergy hoped to have power restored by 6 a.m., but that didn't occur, then they hoped to have power on at 8 a.m. At 8:30 a.m. power was still out.
Shawn Kieffer of the KC Election Board says any voter scheduled to vote at that location can vote at any other location. The nearest voting locations are the Hillcrest Community Center at 10401 Hillcrest Road and the Lane Avenue Baptist Church at 9003 E. 87th Street.
At 8:30 a.m. Evergy reports three power outages in the general area, impacting more than 100 customers.
Overall Evergy reports 50 power outages impacting 670 customers.
The Election Board has battery units to power the voting machines that last a few hours, but not lights at the facility.
We have a crew enroute and are working on an update as soon as the KC Election Board assesses the situation.
