Election officials weigh in on November midterm turnout

TOPEKA (KSNT) - A study conducted by research firm 'Target Smart' shows 70% of newly registered voters in August's primary were women.

But will these voters be motivated to head to the polls in November?

Political experts say the abortion amendment brought women out to vote in the primary, but the push continues to keep the momentum going as Kansans get closer to the general election. In the days leading up to November, initiatives including “Roevember” have been created to help remind women of their impact at the polls.

Some election officials say while it’s too early to predict how many women—or voters in general will come out for the election…it’s quite easy to pinpoint what will bring them to the polls.

“Motivation from candidates and campaigns," Shawnee County Election Commissioner Andrew Howell said. "How they actually work at putting their messaging out to give people a reason to show up like ‘here’s what’s on the ballot’ this is why it matters.”

Howell added that he does believe general election turnout will be significantly larger than in the primary, which reached record levels in Kansas.