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Several League members went on a VIP tour of the Johnson County Election Office recently to see exactly what happens when people vote by mail. Commissioner Connie Schmidt walked the group through each stage of mailed ballot processing, from their arrival at the Johnson County Election Office to final vote tabulation. 

“At every step of the voting process, we are doing all that we possibly can to help each voter to do it right,” Schmidt said. 

Here are a few ways you can make sure your vote counts:

• Make sure to sign your ballot envelope. Each voter needs to sign his or her own ballot. Don’t sign for your spouse or family member. Election workers compare each signature to other voter documents on file, such as the voter registration record, to verify the voter’s identity.
• One ballot per envelope: Don’t put more than one ballot in an envelope. 
  
• Turn in your mail-in ballot as soon as you can. This gives election workers more time to follow up if they have questions or spot problems with your ballot. (An added bonus is that as soon as you vote, all campaign advertising stops—so no more phone calls or mailers!)
• All mail-in ballots have to be postmarked by August 4 (Election Day) and delivered to the election office by Friday, August 7. If you haven’t turned in your mail-in ballot by July 28, consider hand-delivering it to any advance voting location or polling place on Election Day. You can also drop it off in the secure drop box at the Johnson County Election Office at 2101 E. Kansas City Road in Olathe.
• If you’ve requested a mail-in ballot but haven’t turned it in or have lost it, you can vote in person at your polling location on Election Day by requesting a provisional ballot. After election workers verify that your mail-in ballot was not submitted, your provisional ballot will be counted.