Johnson County Hand-Counts 125,000 Ballots in Historic Election Audit
Johnson County election officials are hand-counting 125,000 ballots to verify narrow margins in five statewide races following an order from Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab.
Election officials in Johnson County began a mandatory statewide close-race audit on November 9, 2026, to verify unofficial results from the November 3 general election. The process was triggered by an order from Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab after six races across the state finished within a margin of 1% or less. In Johnson County, the audit covers five of those races: Governor, Secretary of State, Attorney General, and Kansas House Districts 27 and 117.
Johnson County Election Commissioner Connie Schmidt described the effort as the largest audit in Kansas history. Approximately 190 workers in bipartisan teams are hand-counting roughly 125,000 ballots to ensure tabulator results match the physical paper ballots. This process differs from a candidate-initiated recount, as it is automatically triggered by state law when narrow margins occur.
While Wyandotte County completed its audit process on November 9, Johnson County officials aim to finish by November 10 to prepare for the county canvass on November 13. The audit must be completed by November 16, and the Board of State Canvassers is scheduled to certify the final official results for all of Kansas by December 1.
