Polls open at 7 a.m. Tuesday in Cowley County for the primary election and state constitution amendment question.
Polls close at 7 p.m. You can find your polling place by clicking here.
The yes/no question, which will be on all ballots, is on an amendment that would alter the Kansas constitution to say it does not guarantee a right to abortions and leave the issue up to the legislature. A vote in favor of the question supports this change to the state’s constitution. A vote against keeps the constitution as is and current abortion restrictions in place.
Abortion access in Kansas, which allows for abortions up to 22 weeks of pregnancy, is currently protected by a state Supreme Court ruling from 2019 that determined the Kansas Bill of Rights grants a “natural right of personal autonomy” that includes the right to “control one’s own body” and to decide whether to continue a pregnancy.
The primaries will decide who will be the Republican challenger to Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly. Other state offices on the ballot include Secretary of State, State Treasurer and Attorney General, where Kris Kobach, who lost to Kelly in the 2018 gubernatorial race, is vying to be the Republican on the ticket in November.
Derek Schmidt, the current Republican Attorney General for Kansas, is the favorite to challenge Kelly for governor in November. He faces Arlyn Briggs in the primary.
Locally, incumbent GOP Rep. Cheryl Helmer is facing a challenge from Webster Roth of Winfield for the State House District 79 seat. Kris Trimmer and Cristel Heffron Love are the candidates in the Democratic primary to be on the ballot for the District 79 seat in November.