Johnson County voters can hear directly from candidates at a series of free public forums ahead of the Nov. 3 general election, starting Sept. 22 at Leawood Pioneer Library.

The Johnson County Post is hosting seven nights of candidate forums, with Johnson County Library co-sponsoring most of the events. Post Editor Kyle Palmer will moderate each session. Audience questions will come from reader submissions.

The first forum relevant to Overland Park and Leawood residents covers Kansas House Districts 19, 24 and 28. It starts at 6 p.m. Sept. 22 at Leawood Pioneer Library, 4700 Town Center Drive.

A Board of County Commissioners and chair forum follows at 6 p.m. Oct. 6, at Central Resource Library, 9875 W. 87th St. in Overland Park. Candidates for county chair and commission Districts 1 and 5 will participate.

A third Overland Park-area forum covers Kansas House Districts 8, 27, 49 and 78 at 6 p.m. Oct. 14, at Blue Valley Library, 9000 W. 151st St.

More than 180 people attended the Post's primary forum for the county chair seat on June 30 at Central Resource Library. Publisher Jay Senter said in the Post's Aug. 31 announcement that the outlet's approach puts average residents' interests at the center of campaign coverage, noting a gap between what politicians talk about and what local voters say matters most.

Prairie Village residents also have a mayoral forum at 6 p.m. Oct. 1 at Meadowbrook Clubhouse, 9101 Nall Ave.

Ballot drop boxes at every branch

For the first time, all 14 Johnson County Library branches have official ballot drop boxes. The expansion is part of a partnership with the Johnson County Election Office and came after a change in Kansas law eliminated a grace period for mail-in ballots. Ballots must now arrive by the close of polls on Election Day.

"With the elimination of the grace period for mail-in ballots, having drop boxes at all Johnson County Library branches provides a convenient way for voters to return their ballots on time," Regional Librarian Hilary Sorio said in a library announcement in July.

Key election dates

According to the Johnson County Library, National Voter Registration Day is Sept. 15. The library's 14 branches will distribute free pocket constitutions on Sept. 17 for National Constitution Day.

The voter registration deadline is Oct. 13. Advance in-person voting begins Oct. 17 and runs 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday through Oct. 31. On Nov. 2, advance voting is available 8 a.m. to noon.

All forums are free and open to the public.

Polls open on Election Day, Nov. 3 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Voters can check their assigned polling location on the Kansas VoterView website. Advance ballot applications are available for pickup at any library branch.