Local elections in Kansas were moved from the spring to the fall with the promise of increasing voter turnout, but did it work?

Only 9.7% of eligible voters cast a ballot in Topeka’s 2021 primary election. However, the disappointing turnout isn’t a sign that changes to spur higher turnout have failed, at least not yet. Election Day changed in 2017, but voter turnout hasn’t shown many signs of increasing since then. The Capital-Journal reviewed voter turnout from 2010-2020 in Shawnee, Sedgwick and Douglas county elections. The 2015 change moved local elections from the spring to the fall of odd-numbered years, with the stated goal of increasing voter turnout. But voter turnout among all three counties peaked at 16.59% during Douglas County’s 2015 general election. Voter turnout was generally between 10%-16% during the 15 odd-year elections from 2011-2015. Three elections attracted fewer than 10% of people with the lowest turnout, 4.4%, coming in Shawnee County’s 2013 primary election.
Source: Dodge Globe.