Almost five times as many mail ballots were cast in Shawnee County in the Aug. 4 primary election than had ever been cast in a primary here before. Voters submitted 14,100 mail ballots in that primary, compared to the previous known record of 2,884 set during the August 2016 primary, said Shawnee County election commissioner Andrew Howell. He attributed the surge in mail ballot voting in part to fears over COVID-19. But even before the pandemic, Howell said, residents here told him they increasingly preferred the convenience of voting in advance by mail or at the county election office. Howell said 3,071 people voted in person prior to the Aug. 4 Election Day at the county election office at 3420 S.W. Van Buren, which was up from 2,445 in the August 2016 primary.
Source: Local News | Topeka Capital-Journal
