By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
National politicians often garner the headlines, but decisions made by elected officials at the local level often carry more impact. Several city, county, school, and other elected positions will be up for grabs in the 2026 General Election on Nov. 3. The primary for those races is set for Tuesday, Aug. 4. Barton County Election Official Bev Schmeidler said the deadline to file as a candidate is approaching fast.
“The filing deadline is June 1 at noon, which is a Monday this year,” she said. “We just have to have all the paperwork by then. If it’s a state-level office, they go to Topeka to file. This is a gubernatorial year, so we will elect a governor, lieutenant governor, and there will be a lot of state offices on the ballots. It would be great to have a great turnout at the polls for the election.”
Local elections will include four seats on the Great Bend City Council, as well as seats on the Hoisington and Ellinwood councils. Ellinwood Hospital will have two board seats up for grabs. Barton County Commission districts 1, 4, and 5 are up for election. Incumbents Duane Reif and Tricia Schlessiger have already refiled for Districts 1 and 4, respectively, and Johnathan Robinson has filed in District 5, which is currently occupied by Donna Zimmerman. Clerks positions in all 22 Barton County townships will also be on the Aug. 4 ballot, as will precinct committee spots for both the Republican and Democratic parties. The deadline to register to vote or change party affiliation is July 14 at 5 p.m. Early voting can begin as early as July 15.
“Whether you come vote early or you vote at a polling place on Election Day, you can declare one of those parties if you are unaffiliated,” Schmeidler said. “You can’t change your party on the poll site, but you can declare if you’re unaffiliated.”
Larger numbers of voters tend to turn out in even-numbered years. Nearly 60 percent of Barton County voters turned out in 2016, which included a presidential race. That number dropped to 24 percent in 2017. Forty-nine percent showed up in a gubernatorial year in 2018, then fewer than 25 percent voted in 2019. Sixty-eight and 63 percent voted in 2020 and 2024, respectively, which included presidential races.
Other state and national seats to be decided in the Nov. 3 general election include one U.S. Senator, four U.S. Representatives, Kansas secretary of state, attorney general, treasurer, and commissioner of insurance, 125 state representatives, and several judicial positions.