Kansas Primary Election Saw 20 Percent Turnout

Kansas officials say about 20 percent of the state’s 1.74 million registered voters took part in this month’s primary elections.

Secretary of State Kris Kobach chairs the three-member State Board of Canvassers, which certified the results of the Aug. 5 primaries on Wednesday. Nearly 351,000 ballots were cast.

Kobach had predicted 22 percent turnout. The 20 percent participation was the lowest for a Kansas primary election since 2006, when it was 18 percent.

Turnout in the last primary in a non-presidential election year in 2010 was 25 percent.

Logan County in western Kansas had the highest turnout, at 40 percent. The lowest turnout, less than 12 percent, was in Labette County in southeast Kansas.