Commission to canvass votes
The Barton County Commission will meet as the Board of County Canvassers at 8:30 a.m. on Monday in the Office of the County Clerk to canvass Tuesday’s primary election ballots.
Tuesday’s vote totals remain unofficial and don’t include provisional ballots, those cast by voters who moved within the county or changed names. The vote counts won’t be certified until they are canvassed.
Here are the election numbers as they were as of Tuesday night as listed by the Barton County Clerk’s Office:
• Registered voters – total 16,202
• Registered voters – Democratic, 2,322
• Registered voters – Republican, 9,840
• Registered voters – nonpartisan, 4,040
• Ballots cast – total, 7,361
• Ballots cast– Democratic, 1,080
• Ballots cast – Republican, 5,552
• Ballots cast– nonpartisan, 729
• Ballots cast– blank, 3
• Voter turnout – total 45.43%
• Voter turnout – Democratic 46.51%
• Voter turnout – Republican 56.42%
• Voter turnout – nonpartisan 18.04%
The voter turnout for Tuesday’s Barton County primary election was high, higher even that in the 2018 presidential primary, County Clerk Bev Schmeidler told the County Commission Wednesday morning. She had just gotten off a late night when the final preliminary election numbers were not tabulated until after 10 p.m.
She said the turnout was 45.43%, and out of 16,202 registered voters, 7,331 cast ballots. But, she noted, these results won’t be finalized until after the commission meets as the Board of Canvassers Monday morning to certify the election.
“I know that secretary of state (Scott Schwab) said last week that statewide (advance voting) was well above 2018,” she said. “There are a lot of passionate people.”
“That’s amazing,” District 4 Commissioner Jon Prescott said.
“It doesn’t matter what you’re for, it’s that you came out and voted. That’s what’s important,” said District 2 Commissioner Barb Esfeld, who was chairing the meeting as chairman pro tem in the absence of Chairman Shawn Hutchinson, District 3. “And I thought particularly that the races here in Barton County were very clean. People were very polite, and that was nice.”
She also reminded the commission that all five commissioners have faced opposition for their seats. “The neat thing about that is it puts it in the voters’ hands.”
Commissioners also praised Schmeidler for how she handled here first election. She also serves as the county election officer, being named to the clerk and election officer posts to take over for long-time County Clerk Donna Zimmerman who retired at the end of last year.
As a side note, Barton County residents who placed primary election campaign signs in their yards were reminded by the County Commission Wednesday morning to remove them.
Barton County Commission meeting at a glance
Here is a quick look at what the Barton County Commission did Wednesday morning:
• Approved a resolution naming Brenda Kaiser, human resource director, as Barton County’s Kansas Public Employment Retirement System agent.
The KPERS Act of 1961 provides for the designation of an agent for each participating employer through whom system transactions and communications are directed, Operations Director Matt Patzner said.
In addition, this agent acts as a local contact for employees for retirement system information, transactions, forms and publications. She is also a signer in addition to Patzner.
Keiser, who came to the county as HR director in May after working at Fuller Industries, had just completed her KPERS training.
• Approved a resolution rescinding a June 2004 resolution authorizing a $3 fee, per the issuance of each driver’s license, to be accessed to the Kansas Department of Revenue, to offset housing the Driver’s Licensing Office at the courthouse. As that agency is no longer housed in the building, it is appropriate that the Resolution be rescinded, Operations Director Matt Patzner said.
Patzner was asked if the county had to rescind the fee. He said it was up to the will of the commission.
It was also noted that on some internet searches, the license office location still pops up as the Courthouse. Patzner said this was up to the Kansas Department of Revenue to change and that he’d contact them and let them know.
It is correct on the county’s website.
• Discussed the voter turnout from Tuesday’s primary election.
