The Independent View: KS Dem Eliminate In-Person Voting in May 2nd Party-Run Presidential Primary

The Kansas Democratic Party, on Monday, March 30th, made the Decision to End In-Person Voting in its upcoming May 2nd Party-Run Primary.

That move comes less than two weeks after the Party opted to Push Forward with their Plans to carry out the Election with Both Vote-by-Mail and In-Person Voting.

But Kansas Democrats Arrived at the same Conclusion other States with Party-Run Contests recently have. Democrats in Alaska, Hawaii, and Wyoming, All chose to End their In-Person Voting on April 4th and Completely lean on the Mail-In Option each had layered into their Delegate Selection Plans from the Start.

That Insurance Policy, the Presence of and Planning for a Vote-by-Mail System, gave each State Party something to fall back on given the Threat the Coronavirus now Poses to In-Person Voting this Spring.

Typically, State Parties are at a Disadvantage in Implementing these Types of Party-Run Elections. Those Parties just do Not have the Funding Resources that State Governments do. But in this Case, Careful Planning ahead of time, and in response to new DNC Encouragements in Rule 2 to Increase Participation, laid the Groundwork for this Unique Alternative Option.

Now, States with Primaries but No Vote-by-Mail Infrastructure, States like Delaware, have had to Change the Dates of their Primaries to hopefully shift out of the Window of Time in which the Coronavirus may reach its Peak.

But Kansas Democrats have Not. They will Press Forward with Plans to have an All-Mail May 2nd Party-Run Primary. Voters will need to Register as Democrats by April 7th in order to Automatically be Mailed a Ballot for the Race.

Voters already Registered as Democrats were Mailed a Ballot on March 30th, more Newly Registered Voters have until April 7th, and those who have Not Received a Ballot by April 10th can still Request a Ballot until April 24th.