Wyandotte County Election Office Misprints 3,000 Mail-In Ballots

The Wyandotte County Election Office misprinted return addresses on approximately 3,000 mail-in ballots for a primary election, using an outdated P.O. box that the Postal Service no longer delivers to. The error resulted in completed ballots being returned to voters as address unknown or return to sender. U.S. Senate candidate Erik Murray first alerted officials to the issue and held an emergency press conference on July 31, urging voters to drop off ballots in person to avoid further mailing issues.

Election Commissioner Michael Abbott stated that the post office has since changed its process and that the office is now receiving ballots regularly. However, Abbott reported that while 1,408 of the 2,975 issued ballots have been received, more than half remain unaccounted for. Election officials are advising affected voters to obtain provisional ballots directly from the office.

The Kansas Democratic Party and the NAACP have condemned the error, with the Democratic party characterizing it as election interference and an abdication of duty. Critics highlighted that the error disproportionately affects the Black and Latino majority county. Concerns were raised regarding the chain of custody for the remaining 1,500 outstanding ballots and whether voters, particularly seniors with limited mobility, can successfully remedy the situation before the primary.