In a presidential election year, Ellsworth County election officer Shelly Vopat would typically mail a couple hundred advance-by-mail ballots to potential voters for the primary.

This year, she sent out 633. Of those 542 were returned to her office.

The increase was enough to slow the preliminary count Tuesday, Aug. 4, by about an hour. Otherwise, the process went smoothly, Vopat said.

She said the coronavirus pandemic contributed to the increased popularity of advance or mail-in ballots. However, she’s not sure that was the only reason.

With only one local race on the ballot,

Ellsworth County still managed an impressive 42 percent turnout. Ellsworth County has 3,890 registered voters.

“These was very good,” said Vopat, who in her 14 years with local elections said turnout has typically been less than 30 percent in past primary elections.

It was a trend that washed across the state. Before the primary election, Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab predicted a statewide voter turnout of 28 percent.

As of Friday, July 31, 314,788 advance-by-mail ballots had been sent to Kansas voters. By comparison, 51,211 ballots were sent to Kansas voters during the same period in the 2018 primary election and 53,387 advance-by-mail ballots were mailed during the same period in the 2016 primary election.

Results of the 2020 primary election won’t be official until Ellsworth County commissioners canvass the votes at 8 a.m. today (Thursday, Aug. 13) at the courthouse.

Meanwhile, here are the unofficial results from the Aug. 4 primary (*indicates overall winner):

• Ellsworth County’s local contested race saw long-time district court clerk Peggy Svaty with 75 percent or 916 votes, compared to 298 for attorney Rita Sunderland. Both candidates are Republicans and no Democrat has filed for the position.

• Also on the ballot was a district court judge opening — Ellsworth County is in the 20th Judicial District — that pitted Lisa Beran of Claflin against Barton County attorney Levi Morris. In Ellsworth County, Beran received 685 or 62 percent of the votes, compared to 417 or 38 percent for Morris. The district vote total was 5,912 for Beran and 4,804 for Morris. The 20th District also covers Barton, Rice, Russell and Stafford counties.

• U.S Senate — Democrats — *Barbara Bollier, 277; Robert Leon Tillman, 46.

Republicans — Bob Hamilton, 189; Kris Kobach, 219; Roger Marshall, 678.

• U.S. House of Representatives — Democrats — *Kali Barnett, 192; Christy Cauble Davis, 129.

Republicans — Bill Clifford, 270; *Tracey Mann, 824.

• Ellsworth County Clerk — Shelly Vopat, unopposed — 315.

• County Treasuer — Geneva Schneider, unopposed — 310.

• State Senator — Incumbent Richard Wilborn, unopposed — 998.

• State Representative — Incumbent Steven Johnson, unopposed — 1053.

• Register of Deeds — Sue Arensman, unopposed, 1038.

• County Attorney — Incumbent Paul Kasper, unopposed — 1053.

• Sheriff — Incumbent Murray Marston, unopposed — 1082.

• County Commissioner — Steve Dlabal, unopposed — 325.

The other open commission seat will be decided at the Nov. 3 general election. Candidates are Republican Gregory Bender and Democrat Patrick Hoffman. Neither candidate was opposed in the primary. The winner will represent the city of Ellsworth following the retirement of long-time county commissioner Kermit Rush.

Dates to Remember

Oct. 13 — Last day to register to vote for general election.

Oct. 14 — Advance voting in person ad by mail begins.

Oct. 27 — Deadline for voters to apply for advance ballots by mail for general election.

Nov. 3 — General election.