When a Handful of Votes Decide Our Future: How Low Primary Turnout Hurt Us and How Black Votes Will Make the Difference in November

Why These Elections Matter

Elected school board members, city commissioners, and judges may seem distant from the headlines—but they shape our daily lives. They’re the ones paving our streets, overseeing our children’s classrooms, running city budgets, and setting local policy. In Shawnee County, just 10% of eligible voters turned out in the August 5 primary. That means 90% of us stayed home while decisions about our neighborhoods, schools, and justice system were made.

The July/August Primaries—Too Many Stayed Home

Shawnee County (Topeka area): Only about 10% turnout in the primary. Election officials noted that such low levels are expected—but still alarming.

Geary County (Junction City): Just 7.8% voter turnout. Out of 13,053 registered voters, only 1,017 cast ballots.

Douglas County (Lawrence): Slightly better—11.7% turnout—still a far cry from what we need.

Though patterns differ across counties, the bottom line is the same: primary races are low participation.

A Handful of Votes Changed Everything

These numbers are not just disheartening—they’re dangerous. In local contests, margins can be razor-thin. Sometimes less than 10 votes can be the difference between who is on the general election ballot. We must remember: these offices decide the shape of our schools, our city councils, our justice systems. Every Black vote cast isn’t just a vote—it’s a step toward generational equity.

A Powerful Vision from a Black Lens

We write this from a place of both pride and pain. Our ancestors—like the Exodusters—stormed this state for freedom. Our forebears knew that without power at the ballot box, there would be no progress. And today, low turnout in our own communities risks leaving that legacy unfulfilled.

Let’s lean into our legacy, not shy from it. Our vote is not just power—it’s justice. When we don’t show up, decisions for our lives are made without us. And with margins so thin, fewer than 10 votes—or even neglect—can determine who will lead and serve us.

KBLC & Black Votes Matter KS—Our Strategy

KBLC and our partners at the Kansas African American Affairs Commission and the Community Voice newspaper are driving this narrative through #BlackVotesMatterKS, not just with words, but action:

• Storytelling and voter reminder campaigns on social media

• Community gatherings with strong call to actions partnering with organizations like the ACLU, the Voter Network, Kansas Health Foundation, the Reach Foundation and Health Forward Foundations, through our Kansas Black Leadership Brunch series across five cities.

Call to Action—Enough Is Enough

If it only takes 10% to make decisions affecting all of us, imagine what we can do with 40%—or 60%.

We must show up in November, and in every election, every time.

Talk to your neighbors. Vote early. Bring two friends. Share your "I voted" sticker selfie.

Sign up for our peer voting effort here: https://bit.ly/kblckaaac

Support KBLC and Black Votes Matter KS—help amplify our message that these elections are community power.

Closing: From a Handful of Votes to True Power

When fewer than 10 votes separate whose voices are heard and whose aren’t, that’s not democracy—it’s negligence. As Black Kansans—rooted in history, armed with purpose—we must flip the script. From overwhelmed to over-represented. From overlooked to never again. This November, we will show up—not just for us, but for our children’s tomorrow. Because Black Votes Matter, and we are not taking anything less than full democracy.

“Local power is real power. When we vote, we rule.”