Primary election set for Aug. 4, early voting, mail ballots under way

By Charlene Sims, Journal staff

LCJeditor@icloud.com

MOUND CITY – Linn County voters will head to the polls to cast ballots in the primary election on Tuesday, Aug. 4.

Residents who plan to vote should make sure they have their drivers license or other approved photo identification to check in.

Voters were able to cast advance ballots starting Monday, July 20 at the County Clerk’s office in the courthouse at Mound City. Advanced voting will be open Monday through Friday this week and next week from 8 a.m. to 4:30, and on Monday, August 3 from 8 a.m. to Noon.

The polls will be open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and races are expected to have unofficial results by the end of the evening. Final results will take place after election audits and canvassing by the county commission, and that process is expected to take about two weeks. The voting locations are:

• Blue Mound Precinct, Blue Mound Senior Center

• Centerville Precinct, Centerville Township Hall

• Libery Precinct, Parker Senior Center

• North Lincoln Precinct, La Cygne Community Building

• North Lincoln Precinct (Linn Valley City), Linn Valley City Hall

• South Lincoln Precinct, La Cygne Community Building

• Mound City Precinct, Courthouse Annex

• Paris Precinct, Courthouse Annex

• North Potosi Precinct, Pleasanton Community Building

• South Potosi Precinct, Pleasanton Community Building

• Scott Precinct, Cadmus Grange Hall

• Sheridan Precinct, Prescott City Hall

• Stanton Precinct, Courthouse Annex

• Valley Precinct, La Cygne Community Building

The deadline to apply for an advance ballot by mail is Tuesday, July 28, 2026. Mail ballots were sent out on Wednesday, July 15, according to County Clerk Chasity Ware.

Both Republican and Democratic voters will have numerous candidates to choose from in national and state races and there is a constitutional amendment question on the ballot about whether voters want to change the process of how Kansas Supreme Court judges are appointed to the Kansas Supreme Court. See article on ballot question.

Registered voters who are independent and have no party affiliation are eligible to vote on the  Supreme Court amendment issue. Also unaffiliated voters may claim party affiliation at the poll and vote in that primary.

The races for the Republican Primary are:

• One candidate will be seeking the nomination for the Linn County Commission seat in District 1. Voters from the La Cygne and Linn Valley area will be given the option to vote for the only declared candidate, Robert Shelton of rural La Cygne. Without opposition from either independent or Democratic contenders at this point, the winner of the general election likely will be decided on Tuesday. Jason Hightower, the current commission representative from that district, did not file for re-election this year.

Elections for Commission Districts 2 (Pleasanton/Prescott area) and 3 (Mound City and west side of Linn County) will be held in 2028.

• Countywide voting will also take place for two county offices where only one person filed to seek the office. County Clerk Chasity Ware is seeking to retain the office that she was appointed to in November 2025. Ware’s uncontested election will elect her for two more years to complete the term that former county clerk David Lamb resigned from in 2024 after 20-plus years of service..

• Register of Deeds Debbie Snyder is also running to retain the office that she was    appointed to in October 2025. Snyder also will be running uncontested to be elected for two more years to complete former Register of Deeds Kristy Schmitz’s position which  she was elected to in 2024 but resigned from after 20 years of service.

• Republican candidates for Governor/Lt. Governor are Ty Masterson/Jeffrey Klemp, Andover;C harlotte O’Hara /Michelle Dombrosky, Overland Park; Nick Reinecker/Katy Reinecker, Inman; Stacy L. Rogers/Michael W. Smith, Wichita/Lansing; Philip Sarnecki/Joy Eakins, Overland Park; Vicki Schmidt/Joe Newland, Topeka; and Scott Schwab/Ken Rahjes, Olathe.

• Kris Kobach, Lecompton, is running for the Republican ticket for Attorney General.

• Pat Proctor, Leavenworth, Republican for Secretary of State.

• Steven Johnson, Assaria,  Republican for State Treasurer.

• In the Kansas House of Representatives, District 4, Rick James, La Cygne, KS is running for the Republican seat. District 4 covers all of the townships in Linn County except Liberty (Parker).

• Fred Gardiner, Garnett, Republican for Kansas House Of Representatives, District 9 (Liberty Township).

• Daniel Hawkins, Wichita, is the Republican running for Commissioner of Insurance.

• State Board of Education, District 9, Republican  candidates are Destry Brown, Fort Scott, Kristian Gerken, Paola; and Renee Slinkard, Parker.

• Two Republican candidates are vying for the office of United States Senate, incumbent Roger Marshall, St. John, and Pond Naramore, Lawrence.

• The race for the 2nd District Representative to the U.S. House of Representatives has two Republican candidates. They are Derek Schmidt, Topeka, and Chad E Young, Lawrence.

Races in the Democratic primary

• There are no Democratic candidates running for county office.

•  Democratic candidates for Governor/Lt. Governor are Ethan Corson/Renee Dialer, Overland Park; Cindy Holscher/KC Ohaebosim, Olathe; and Curt Skoog/Jennifer Bacon McKenney, Overland Park.

• Chris Mann, Lawrence, is running on the Democratic ticket for Attorney General.

• The Democratic Secretary of State candidates are Jennifer Day, Mission, and Samuel Lane, Shawnee.

• Juan C. Luengo, Olathe, is the Democratic candidate for State Treasurer.

• No Democratic candidates are running for the Kansas House of Representatives, District  4 or District 9.

• Dinah Sykes, Lenexa, is the Democratic candidate for Commissioner of Insurance.

• State Board of Education, District 9, Democratic candidate Heather Guernsey, Chanute.

• Eleven Democratic candidates are vying for the office of U.S. Senate. They are Damon Anderson, Shawnee; Christy Davis, Cottonwood Falls; Adam Hamilton, Stilwell; Jason Hart, Wichita; Kevin Latz, Mission Hills; Erik Murray, Kansas City; Sandy Spidel Neumann, Mission; Anne Parelkar, Overland Park; Patrick Schmidt, Topeka; Michael “Mike” Soetaert, Wellington; and Noah Taylor, Wichita.

• Don Coover, Galesburg, is the only Democratic candidate running for the 2nd District Representative to the U.S. House of Representatives.

The townships of Blue Mound, Centerville, Liberty, Lincoln, Potosi, Scott, Sheridan and Stanton do not have any candidates filing for Township Clerk. The townships that have candidates that have filed are:

• Mound City Township: Larry Holt, Mound City, has filed for Township Clerk.

• Paris Township: Kay Northcutt, Mound City, has filed for Paris Township Clerk.

• Valley Township: Thomas Patterson, La Cygne, has filed for Valley Township Clerk.

In addition, Republicans and Democrats will be voting to select precinct committee man and precinct committee woman in each township. None of the candidates who filed for the posts have opposition.