By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
Barton County voters may have lost one way to turn in a ballot, but there are still plenty of options for casting a vote for the Aug. 4 primary election. Just before early voting began around the state last week, the Barton County Clerk’s Office announced that the ballot drop box in Hoisington had been damaged and could not be used for the 2026 election.
“It does offer convenience for those voters in the northern part of the county if they do not choose to mail their ballots back,” said County Clerk Bev Schmeidler. “It saddened us to take that availability away from the voters.”
Schmeidler said with the focus more on making voters aware of the change, her office does not know what happened to the drop box or when it happened, thought it appeared the box had been hit or kicked. The possibility of installing another drop box in Hoisington is also unknown.
“At this time, we do not know if it will be replaced,” Schmeidler said. “We did notify the Secretary of State’s Office, and they do not currently have any available.”
Early voting is now underway at the clerk’s office on the second floor of the Barton County Courthouse, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, until noon on Monday, Aug. 3. Regular polling locations will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, Aug. 4. There is also a drop box behind Central Kansas Community Corrections, 1208 Kansas Ave., in Great Bend.
Mail-in ballots have been scrutinized in recent weeks. Per the Barton County Election website, under Kansas statute, the deadline to return your ballot is the close of the polls on Election Day. A district court judge in Douglas County has entered a temporary injunction altering that deadline. However, the Secretary of State, represented by the Attorney General, has filed a motion with the Kansas Appellate Courts to stay the decision so that the deadline remains the close of the polls on Election Day. Because of the legal uncertainty while the matter is pending on appeal, voters are urged to return their ballots by the close of the polls on Election Day. Doing so will ensure that their ballots will be counted.