Johnson County processed 37,798 early in-person voters in the first three days of advance voting, nearly double the 19,230 who voted at the same point in 2022.

The 97% surge has election officials comparing this midterm cycle to a presidential election, KMBC reported. The numbers come 13 days before the Nov. 3 general election, with a competitive U.S. Senate race between Republican Sen. Roger Marshall and Democratic challenger Adam Hamilton drawing national attention. The figures were reported Tuesday, Oct. 20.

Johnson County Election Commissioner Connie Schmidt told FOX4 on Tuesday, Oct. 20, that officials had processed 2,000 voters in just the first two hours of the day. With eight hours still remaining, she projected the county could surpass 15,000 voters that day alone.

"We are now comparing our 2026 numbers to the '24 presidential numbers," Schmidt said.

She called the turnout "overwhelming."

Who is voting early

Registered Democrats account for 54% of early voters so far, compared with 33.3% for Republicans and 12.3% for unaffiliated voters, according to KMBC. Those figures reflect party registration, not votes for specific candidates, and do not account for people who will vote later or on Election Day.

Johnson County voter registration reached 475,055 as of September, up from 464,091 in November 2022, according to The Kansas City Star. Republicans hold 40% of registrations and Democrats 34%, a narrowing gap from 2022 when the split was 41.7% to 32.5%.

Why Johnson County matters

The county is Kansas' most populous and a key battleground in the Senate race. No Democrat has won a U.S. Senate seat in Kansas since 1932, according to a FOX4 analysis of the contest.

Bob Beatty, political science chair at Washburn University, told FOX4 that continued strong turnout in Johnson County could pose problems for Marshall. In an Oct. 15 FOX4 analysis of the race, Beatty said, "There's an adage in Kansas politics that for a Democrat to win statewide, they have to win big in Johnson County and they have to not get slaughtered in western Kansas."

Marshall hosted President Donald Trump in Kansas on Monday, Oct. 19, as he works to rally support ahead of Election Day, FOX4 reported.

How to vote early

Johnson County has 12 early voting locations open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday during the advance voting period, according to the Johnson County Election Office's advance voting plan. About 90% of county voters live within a seven-minute drive of a location.

The last day for early in-person voting is Monday, Nov. 2, from 8 a.m. to noon. Voters can also return mail ballots to any of 16 secure drop boxes throughout the county by 7 p.m. Election Day. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3, with polls open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.