Elections and Voting
The general election is November 5, 2024.
Below you'll find information about early voting, locating your polling place, doing candidate research, and more. We're always here to help answer questions through email at eref@lplks.org and Live Chat, but remember: the library is not an elections office, and you can find the contact information for the County Clerk's office below.
Presidential Preference Primary Dates
- February 20, 2024: Last day to register to vote, change your party affiliation, or request an advance ballot
- February 28, 2024: Advance voting begins
- March 18, 2024: Advance voting closes at noon
- March 19, 2024: Presidential Preference Primary
Primary Election Dates
- June 3, 2024: Deadline to change your party affiliation at noon
- July 16, 2024: Last day to register to vote in the primary election
- July 17, 2024: Advance voting begins
- July 30, 2024: Deadline to request an advance ballot to be mailed
- August 5, 2024: Advance voting closes at noon
- August 6, 2024: Primary election, 7am-7pm
General Election Dates
- October 15, 2024: Last day to register to vote in the general election
- October 16, 2024: Advance voting begins
- October 29, 2024: Deadline to request an advance ballot to be mailed
- November 4, 2024: Advance voting closes at noon
- November 5, 2024: General election, 7am-7pm
Registering to vote? The Douglas County Clerk's Office recommends registering through ksvotes.org or visiting the elections office at 711 W. 23rd #1 in Lawrence (23rd and Louisiana Streets).
County resources:
Looking for reliable information on political candidates and issues? Want to know who is running for office?
- The County Clerk's Voting and Elections page, opens a new window has complete and updated information about where and how to vote, which offices are up for election, what candidates have filed so far, and more. Make it your first stop!
- Douglas County, Kansas Elections Hub: Find out who’s running, who your current reps are, and your voter registration status.
- Ballotopedia has information on state and federal elections being held in Kansas in 2024.
- KSBallot.org is a tool provided by the Voter Network (in both English and Spanish) that gives Kansas voters a nonpartisan, comprehensive look at the candidates and issues that will appear on their ballots.
- Vote411.org: See who is on your ballot, find upcoming debates in your area, and more!
- Douglas County voters: The filing deadline has passed. Here's who's running for election. (Lawrence Times)
- 2024 Primary Elections (Lawrence Journal-World)
- 2024 General Election (Lawrence Journal-World)
- Election 2024 (Lawrence Times)
Need help deciphering information from misinformation? Try these sites:
- Factcheck.org (Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania)
- PolitiFact (Poynter Institute)
- RumorGuard (News Literacy Project)
- Is it legit? Five steps for vetting a news source (News Literacy Project)
Douglas County Clerk
- Democratic candidates:
- Jamie Shew
- Republican candidates:
- No candidates
Douglas County Commission
To see a map of Douglas County Commission districts, click here.
Douglas County Commission candidates share varying views on their prospective roles in public health (Lawrence Times)
Douglas County Commission candidates discuss opioids, food insecurity and other public health issues at forum (Lawrence Journal-World)
Members of the public raise concerns about communication at Douglas County Commission candidate forum (Lawrence Journal-World)
Douglas County Commission candidates discuss climate plan, race and equity, property taxes (Lawrence Times)
County Commission candidates call housing affordability a significant issue in Douglas County (Lawrence Journal-World)
Douglas County Commission candidates share stances on affordable housing, development incentives, wind energy (Lawrence Times)
Douglas County Commission candidates discuss their views on affordable housing, economic development, and more at forum (Lawrence Journal-World)
Douglas County Commission candidates weigh in on public safety services, climate change and other issues at forum (Lawrence Journal-World)
District 2
- Democratic candidates:
- Shannon Reid
- Independent candidates:
- Brad Chun
- Republican candidates:
- No candidates
District 3
- Democratic candidates:
- Karen L. Willey
- Republican candidates:
- Pam McDermott
District 4
- Democratic candidates:
- Gene Dorsey
- Libertarian candidates:
- Steve Jacob
- Republican candidates:
- Timothy Bruce
District 5
- Democratic candidates:
- Erica Anderson
- Libertarian candidates:
- Kirsten Kuhn
- Republican candidates:
- Rich Lorenzo
Douglas County District Attorney
At forum, DA candidates share concerns about racism in justice system, discuss plans if elected (Lawrence Journal-World)
DA candidates try to make the case that their type of experience is what the office needs most (Lawrence Journal-World)
Douglas County DA candidates weigh prosecutorial experience, downplay politics (Lawrence Times)
2 candidates running for DA call the current office a total mess, offer ideas for fixing (Lawrence Journal-World)
Incumbent DA Valdez defends her performance, while other candidates at forum critique her office as lacking public's trust (Lawrence Journal-World)
In forum, Democrats running for Douglas County district attorney discuss prosecutorial discretion (Lawrence Times)
Forum between Douglas County district attorney candidates heats up (Lawrence Times)
DA delivers fiery defense of her administration and denounces 'haters' while challengers outline ideas for reform (Lawrence Journal-World)
- Democratic candidates:
- Dakota Loomis
- Republican candidates:
- Mike Warner
Judicial Retention--District Court Judges
- District 7
- Catherine C. Theisen
- James R. McCabria
- Mark Simpson
- Carl Folsom, III
Douglas County Register of Deeds
- Democratic candidates:
- Kent Brown
- Republican candidates:
- No candidates
Douglas County Sheriff
- Democratic candidates
- Jay Armbrister
- Republican candidates
- No candidates
Douglas County Treasurer
- Democratic candidates:
- Adam Rains
- Republican candidates:
- No candidates
Upcoming Events:
Past Events:
LDCPH, Heartland Community Health Center, and United Way of Kaw Valley Douglas County Candidate Forum
Lawrence Chamber of Commerce Douglas County Commission Forum
WED | October 9 | 8-9:30 AM | Lied Center Pavilion, 1600 Stewart Drive
Lawrence NAACP, League of Women Voters of Lawrence-Douglas County, and Kansas Public Radio State School Board and Douglas County District Attorney Candidate Forum
SUN | October 6 | 3 PM | Lawrence Public Library Auditorium, 707 Vermont Street
- Video recording of District Attorney candidate forum (YouTube)
- Video recording of State School Board candidate forum (YouTube)
Women for Kansas Douglas County District Attorney Candidate Forum
MON | September 30 | 6:30 PM | Lawrence Public Library Auditorium, 707 Vermont Street
- Video recording of forum (YouTube)
Douglas County Rural Preservation Association Douglas County District Attorney and Douglas County Commission Candidate Panel
TUE | September 24 | 6:30 PM | Douglas County Fairgrounds
Women for Kansas Virtual Chapter U.S. House District 1 Candidate Forum
TUE | September 24 | 7 PM | Zoom
- Video recording of forum (YouTube)
Lawrence NAACP, League of Women Voters of Lawrence-Douglas, and Kansas Public Radio County State Senate and Douglas County Commission Candidate Forum
SUN | September 15 | 1:30 PM | Lawrence Public Library Auditorium, 707 Vermont Street
- Video recording of Senate candidate forum (YouTube)
- Video recording of Douglas County Commission candidate forum (YouTube)
Women for Kansas Lawrence/Douglas County Congressional District 1 Candidate Forum with Paul Buskirk
SAT | August 17 | 1:30 PM | Lawrence Public Library Auditorium, 707 Vermont Street
- Video recording of forum (YouTube)
Women for Kansas State Senate District 2 Candidate Forum
TUE | July 16 | 7 PM | Zoom
- Video recording of forum (YouTube)
Douglas County Democrats Candidate Forum: House District 44, County Clerk, District Attorney, County Commission Districts 4 and 5
TUE | July 16 | Zoom
- Video recording of forum (YouTube)
NAACP and League of Women Voters State Primary Candidate Forums
SAT | July 13 | Watkins Museum of History
- Kansas State Senate Primary Forum
- Video recording of forum (YouTube)
- Kansas House of Representatives Primary Forum
- Video recording of forum (YouTube)
Douglas County Rural Preservation Association County Commission Forum
FRI | July 12 | 6:30-8:30 PM | Building 21 at the Douglas County Fairgrounds, 2110 Harper Street
NAACP and League of Women Voters Douglas County Primary Candidate Forums
SAT | June 29 | Watkins Museum of History
- Douglas County District Attorney Primary Forum
- Audio recording of forum (Lawrence Times/SoundCloud)
- Video recording of forum (YouTube)
- Douglas County Commission Primary Forum
- Audio recording of forum (Lawrence Times/SoundCloud)
Douglas County Democrats Candidate Forum: County Commission District 2, Senate District 19, House Districts 45 and 5
TUE | June 25 | Zoom
- Video recording of forum (YouTube)
Douglas County Democrats Candidate Forum: House Districts 10, 42, and 47, and County Commission District 3
TUE | June 18 | Zoom
- Video recording of forum (YouTube)
Women for Kansas Democratic Candidate Forum for Douglas County District Attorney
SAT | June 15 | Lawrence Public Library Auditorium
- Audio recording of forum (Lawrence Times/SoundCloud)
- Video recording of forum (YouTube)
Douglas County Democrats Candidate Forum: House District 46 and Board of Education District 6
TUE | June 11 | Zoom
- Video recording of forum (YouTube)
Douglas County Democrats Candidate Forum: Senate Districts 2 and 3, Board of Education District 4
TUE | June 4 | Zoom
- Video recording of forum (YouTube)
Women for Kansas Candidate Forum for Senate District 19
SAT | May 11 | 10:30 AM | Zoom
- Video recording of forum (YouTube)
Kansas Legislature
House of Representatives Primary Election Candidates
Find a map of Kansas House Districts in Douglas County here.
- District 5
- Democratic candidates:
- Henry Johns
- Republican candidates:
- Carrie Barth
- Democratic candidates:
- District 10
- Democratic candidates:
- Suzanne Wikle
- Republican candidates:
- No candidates
- Democratic candidates:
- District 42
- Democratic candidates:
- Eddy Martinez
- Republican candidates:
- Lance W. Neelly
- Democratic candidates:
- District 43
- Democratic candidates:
- No candidates
- Republican candidates:
- Bill Sutton
- Democratic candidates:
- District 44
- Democratic candidates:
- Barbara W. Ballard
- Republican candidates:
- No candidates
- Democratic candidates:
- District 45
- Democratic candidates:
- Mike Amyx
- Republican candidates:
- No candidates
- Democratic candidates:
- District 46
- Democratic candidates:
- Brooklynne Mosley
- Republican candidates:
- No candidates
- Democratic candidates:
- District 47
- Democratic candidates:
- Mary T. Williams
- Republican candidates:
- Ronald B. Ellis
- Democratic candidates:
- District 117
- Democratic candidates:
- Bill Hammond
- Republican candidates:
- Adam Turk
- Democratic candidates:
State Senate
Find a map of Kansas Senate Districts in Douglas County here.
- District 2
- Democratic candidates:
- Marci Francisco
- Republican candidates:
- David G. Miller
- Democratic candidates:
- District 3
- Democratic candidates:
- Dena Sattler
- Republican candidates:
- Rick Kloos
- Democratic candidates:
- District 9
- Democratic candidates:
- Norman Mallicoat
- Republican candidates:
- Beverly Gossage
- Democratic candidates:
- District 19
- Democratic candidates:
- Patrick Schmidt
- Republican candidates:
- Tyler Wible
- Democratic candidates:
State Board of Education
Kansas State Board of Education candidates discuss building relationships, vouchers and more at Lawrence forum (Lawrence Times)
- District 4
- Democratic candidates:
- Kris Meyer
- Republican candidates:
- Connie O'Brien
- Democratic candidates:
- District 6
- Democratic candidates:
- Beryl Ann New
- Republican candidates:
- Bruce Schultz
- Democratic candidates:
Judicial Retention--Kansas Court of Appeals
Kansas Bar Association "Your Kansas Judges and the Judicial Survey Project": The Judicial Survey Project is a non-partisan, non-political, educational project designed to inform the public about the judges' performance and qualifications.
- Sarah E. Warner
- David E. Bruns
- G. Gordon Atcheson
- Karen Arnold-Burger
- Rachel L. Pickering
- Angela D. Coble
- Kathryn Gardner
- Resolution 7442--City of Lawrence Question 1: “Shall the following be adopted? Shall the City of Lawrence, Kansas, abandon the Commission-Manager form of government and adopt a Modified Mayor-Council Manager form of government and become a city operating under a Modified Mayor-Council Manager form of government?”
Proposed Government Restructure (City of Lawrence)
As voters consider changes to structure of city government, a look at where city commissioners live, other demographics (Lawrence Journal-World)
Dividing Lawrence: Six scenarios for how town might get divided if voters approve City Commission districts (Lawrence Journal-World)
What Lawrence’s ballot question on the city’s ‘form of government’ actually means (Lawrence Times)
Civic Engagement 101: City of Lawrence Ballot Resolution 7442 (YouTube)
Lawrence Asks Why: A podcast by Courtney Shipley and Dustin Stumblingbear featuring members of the Lawrence community sharing their perspectives about the upcoming ballot measure to change the form of the city commission.
Attendees of Lawrence Chamber discussion of proposed government restructure express hesitancy about changes (Lawrence Journal-World)
Should the Lawrence City Commission expand to 6 members plus a mayor? Voters will decide next year (Lawrence Times)
Voters will decide this fall whether Lawrence should change its government structure, including a directly elected mayor (Lawrence Journal-World)
- Resolution 7558--City of Lawrence Question 2: "Shall the following be adopted? Shall the City of Lawrence, Kansas be authorized to repeal the 2019 Sales Tax in the amount of five one-hundredths of one percent (0.05%) in the City of Lawrence, Kansas, and replace it with the levying of a new special purpose retailers’ sales tax in the amount of one tenth of one percent (0.1%) for the purposes of (1) providing and improving the quality, availability, and affordability of housing in Lawrence, acquiring land for future affordable housing units, investing in private/public partnerships for the provision of affordable housing, and such other related affordable housing purposes as may be in the best interest of the City, and (2) providing temporary emergency shelter for persons experiencing homelessness and related services including but not limited to providing food, laundry, transportation, storage, non-prescription medical supplies, case management, and outreach services as well as homeless prevention services including but not limited to rent stabilization funding, utility assistance, assistance obtaining government identification cards, government benefits, and such other related programs and services for persons experiencing homelessness as may be in the best interest of the City, the collection of such sales tax to commence on April 1, 2025 and shall terminate ten years after its commencement, all in accordance with the provisions of K.S.A. 12-187 et seq. and amendments thereto? [Note: In the event that the new special purpose retailers’ sales tax referenced herein is not approved by a majority of the qualified electors voting thereon at the November 5, 2024, general election, then the 2019 Sales Tax shall not be repealed and shall remain in full force and effect until it expires in accordance with the terms of Ordinance No. 9551.]"
Sales Tax Proposal (City of Lawrence)
City asking Lawrence voters to increase sales taxes for affordable housing, homelessness programs (Lawrence Times)
Lawrence City Commission agrees to put sales tax increase on ballot, continues discussion of 2025 budget (Lawrence Times)
City commission approves November ballot question about raising special sales tax for affordable housing efforts (Lawrence Journal-World)
City budget would hike property taxes, seek to double .05% sales tax to support homelessness solutions (Lawrence Times)
City manager proposes ballot measure to double sales tax rate for affordable housing, homeless services (Lawrence Journal-World)
U.S. President
Presidential Candidates:
Democratic candidates:
- Kamala D. Harris / Tim Walz
Independent candidates:
- Robert F. Kennedy Jr. / Nicole Shanahan
Libertarian candidates:
- Chase Oliver / Mike ter Maat
Republican candidates:
- Donald J. Trump / JD Vance
U.S. House of Representatives
Kansas Congressional District 1
Kansas 1st District candidates Tracey Mann, Paul Buskirk plow into Farm Bill, Middle East conflict (Lawrence Times)
Democratic candidates:
- Paul Buskirk
Republican candidates:
- Tracey Mann
Kansas Congressional District 2
Trade, taxes, and visas: Derek Schmidt and Nancy Boyda pitch to voters in Kansas' 2nd district (Lawrence Times)
Democratic candidates:
- Nancy Boyda
Libertarian candidates:
- John Hauer
Republican candidates:
- Derek Schmidt
U.S. Senate
No U.S. Senate seats from Kansas are up for election in 2024.
Interested in being a poll worker in Douglas County? Click here for requirements and application information.
Interested in running for office in Kansas or Douglas County? Click here for forms and filing information.
The Douglas County Clerk’s Office is responsible for overseeing all national, state and local elections conducted in Douglas County.
- Email: elections@douglascountyks.org
- Phone: 785-832-5267
- Address: 711 W 23rd St #1, Lawrence, KS 66046
- Office Hours: Monday-Friday 8am-5pm
