Elections and Voting
The next election is November 2, 2021.
Below you'll find information about early voting, locating your polling place, doing candidate research, and more. We're always here to help answer any question through email at eref@lplks.org and Live Chat. And remember, the library is not an elections office - you can find the County Clerk's contact information below.
Primary Election Dates
- July 13, 2021: Last day to register to vote in the primary election
- July 14, 2021: Advance voting begins; advance ballots by mail will be mailed to voters
- July 27, 2021: Deadline to request an advance ballot to be mailed
- August 2, 2021: Advance voting closes at noon
- August 3, 2021: Primary election
General Election Dates
- October 12, 2021: Last day to register to vote in the general election
- October 13, 2021: Advance voting begins; advance ballots by mail will be mailed to voters
- October 26, 2021: Deadline to request an advance ballot to be mailed
- November 1, 2021: Advance voting closes at noon
- November 2, 2021: General election
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:
Advance voting closes at noon on Monday, August 2nd.
Looking for reliable information on political candidates and issues? Want to know who is running for office?
- Douglas County, Kansas Elections Hub: Find out who’s running, as well as your current reps, your voter registration status, and more
- Search Ballotpedia for information on incumbent candidates
- Build your national ballot with Vote411, a tool created by the League of Women Voters
Just want to get the facts straight? You can fact check politicians on the national stage with these resources:
- FactCheck.org (funded by the Annenberg Public Policy Center)
- Politifact.org (part of the nonprofit Poynter Institute)
- Fact Checker (from the The Washington Post)
Want to follow the money? You can research contributions to state and national candidates’ campaigns with these tools:
- Kansas Campaign Finance Reports (Secretary of State’s office)
- Campaign Finance Data (Federal Election Commission)
- OpenSecrets (Center for Responsive Politics)
City Commission Candidates
Scheduled Forums
- The forum will be held in-person at Abe & Jake’s Landing (8 E. 6th St.) or via Zoom.
- Cost for non-DLI members is $5 and includes pizza and soft drinks.
- Please RSVP to admin@downtownlawrence.com or 785-843-3883
Lawrence NAACP 2021 City Commission Forum: Wednesday, Sep 29, 6pm (Zoom)
- RSVP at this link to join via Zoom.
- The forum will be held in-person at the Lawrence Arts Center (940 New Hampshire St) and livestreamed at this link.
- See more information on the event's Facebook page.
Past Forums
September 19: League of Women Voters "Candidate Speed Dating"
July 27: Lead Horse LLC Ways to Improve Our Native American Community
- Lawrence Journal-World: Lawrence City Commission candidates share ideas to boost support for Haskell Indian Nations University
July 10: Lawrence NAACP Forum (Recording)
- Lawrence Journal-World: City Commission candidates share views on police reform, homelessness and affordable housing
- Lawrence Times: NAACP forum asks Lawrence City Commission candidates for ideas on housing, police reform
June 26: Douglas County Democrats Forum (Recording)
Justice Matters: 2021 City Commission Candidate Questionnaire
USD 497 School Board Candidates
Upcoming Forums
Lawrence NAACP 2021 School Board Forum: Thursday, Sep 30, 6pm (Zoom)
- RSVP at this link to join via Zoom
Lawrence Education Association general election forum: Saturday, Oct 9, 11am - 12:30pm (in-person & livestreamed)
- Location TBD; the forum will be livestreamed on YouTube.
Past Forums
September 19: League of Women Voters "Candidate Speed Dating"
September 1: Lawrence Public Library (Recording)
July 13: Lawrence Education Association and Personnel Association of Lawrence (Recording)
July 10: Douglas County Democrats Forum (Recording)
- Lawrence Journal-World: Lawrence school board candidates outline district’s biggest challenges, budget priorities
- Lawrence Times: Candidates for Lawrence school board sound off on staff pay, budget in forum
July 8: Lawrence NAACP Forum (Recording)
- Lawrence Journal-World: Lawrence school board candidates discuss ways to address district inequities during NAACP forum
- Lawrence Times: NAACP forum asks Lawrence school board candidates to offer solutions on district inequities
July 7: Morning Star Church (Recording)
Lawrence City Commission (3 available seats)
Primary results: Incumbent Lisa Larsen makes strong showing in primary election; five other candidates will also move on to the general election. Candidates disqualified in the primary election are crossed off below.
Lawrence Times: Meet the Lawrence City Commission candidates
Lawrence Journal-World: Voters Guide: City Commission candidates discuss the issues in their own words
Lawrence Journal-World: Remind yourself who is on Tuesday’s City Commission ballot, plus see how much they’ve received in campaign donations
Stuart Boley, Lawrence (incumbent)
- Website, Twitter
- Commissioner Stuart Boley files for reelection to Lawrence City Commission
- Larsen, Boley to seek reelection to Lawrence City Commission as 9 candidates file for 3 seats
Chris Flowers, Lawrence
- Twitter, Facebook
- Frequent public commenter Chris Flowers files to run for Lawrence City Commission, citing bike boulevard, affordable housing, decriminalizing drugs as main issues
Ma’Ko’Quah Jones, Lawrence
Lisa Larsen, Lawrence (incumbent)
- Website, Twitter
- Commissioner Lisa Larsen files for reelection to Lawrence City Commission
- Larsen, Boley to seek reelection to Lawrence City Commission as 9 candidates file for 3 seats
Bart Littlejohn, Lawrence
- Website, Twitter
- Parks and Rec board chair and former neighborhood leader Bart Littlejohn files to run for Lawrence City Commission seat
Shawn Pearson, Lawrence
Milton Scott, Lawrence
- Website
- Community volunteer and former public housing administrator Milton Scott files to run for Lawrence City Commission
Amber Sellers, Lawrence
- Website, Facebook
- Human Relations Commission Chair and family health policy specialist Amber Sellers files to run for Lawrence City Commission
Gillian Rogers Shaw, Lawrence
- According to a June 9 Lawrence Journal-World article, Shaw does not plan to run a campaign.
USD 497 Lawrence School Board (3 available seats)
Primary results: Incumbent Kelly Jones leads in primary for Lawrence school board; 2 candidates tie for the final spot in the general election. Candidates disqualified in the primary election are crossed off below.
Lawrence Times: Meet the Lawrence school board candidates
Lawrence Journal-World: Voters Guide: Lawrence school board candidates in their own words on district issues
Lawrence Times: Lawrence school board candidates sound off on district’s mask mandate
Melissa Clissold, Lawrence
Kay Emerson, Lawrence
GR Gordon-Ross, Lawrence (incumbent)
Leticia A. Gradington, Lawrence
Kelly Jones, Lawrence (incumbent)
Markus Logan, Lawrence
Nate Morsches, Lawrence
Andrew Nussbaum, Lawrence
Douglas Redding, Lawrence
Elizabeth Stephens, Lawrence
Travis Tozer, Lawrence
Myranda Zarlengo, Lawrence
Douglas County Kaw Drainage District
Albert Brune, Lawrence
Stephen C. Evans, Lawrence
John A. Naramore, Lawrence (incumbent)
Charles Taylor, Lawrence (incumbent)
Wakarusa Kaw Drainage District
Mark Neis, Eudora
John Pendleton, Lawrence (incumbent)
Wakarusa, Haskell, Eudora Drainage District
William Meairs, Jr, Lawrence (incumbent)
Dwight C. Purvis (Lawrence) (incumbent)
Peter T Wempe (Lawrence) (incumbent)
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
