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May 2016
Your Vote Counts!
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By Jane Byrnes Voting may be fun for political junkies, but for some it can be confusing or even irrelevant. To simplify the voting process and encourage citizens to take advantage of his or her right to vote, I've broken down the voting requirements and sources of information into four short stories: • Acceptable documents to prove citizenship • Important voting facts • Acceptable ID forms • Information from election offices in Butler, Harvey and Sedgwick counties Several people involved in the political process have shared their suggestions for the August and November elections. On her Show Me the Votes blog, Dr. Beth Clarkson recommends asking for a paper ballot rather than using voting machines or to vote in advance, which involves paper ballots. A statistician
for a national academic organization centered in Wichita, Clarkson said she has detected anomalies in voting machine results in some elections in Kansas and other states. Jim Howell, Sedgwick County Commissioner, recommends that you mark the paper ballots clearly so there will be no doubt or discrepancy such as the “hanging chads” of an earlier presidential election. When there is any doubt about the markings on a paper ballot, the Board of Canvassers -- made up of Sedgwick County Commissioners -- examines each disputed ballot and decides the results, he said. Lynn Stephan, a lifelong Republican, advised Independent and Democrat voters to re-register as a Republican temporarily by June 1 and vote in the Republican primary on Aug. 2. She says this is “the best chance to select moderates for the Kansas legislature in the Republican primary,” a cause she advocates. If you change your affiliation for the primary, you’ll need to provide proof of citizenship when you re-register. Stephan helped organize the non-partisan 2014 statewide Women for Kansas convention. The Women for Kansas groups’ focus now is to elect moderates for the 2017-18 Kansas House and Senate seats. Howell, Stephan and others agree that voting is important at every level – local, state and national – and stress that it’s your responsibility and privilege to guide our democracy. If you can’t decide who you want to vote for, turn to trusted friends and acquaintances for information on who they are supporting and why. This is especially true for the local and state candidates that receive less coverage than the national candidates. Democracy needs you...and your family, friends and neighbors.
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Photo by Steve Einsel
Kansas Grown in west Wichita is the largest of the area farmers' markets. It draws shoppers from Sedgwick County and beyond.
Fresh produce close as area parking lot By Leslie Chaffin There’s nothing quite like the taste of homegrown food. As more and more people are looking for the fresh flavor of naturally grown food, farmers’ markets are expanding. Locally the season can begin as early as April and continue through October, depending on Mother Nature. From the Kansas Grown markets in Wichita and Derby to community markets in Newton and El Dorado, the focus is often on organically grown crops and humanely raised animals. “People ask about the ingredients in our jams and jellies,” said Steve Einsel of Steve’s Jams & Jellies, available in several area markets. “They appreciate that the ingredient list is short, and that we don’t use preservatives or high fructose corn syrup.” When the west Kansas Grown
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market opened in early April, he said, people were waiting to shop. “We had record sales.” Einsel said his business started as a hobby. He first sold his wares at the Coliseum’s flea market, but said farmers’ markets are better venues because people come to shop for fresh food. Demand for space at the Kansas Grown market at the Sedgwick County Extension Office has grown so much that they don’t have room for more booths with 83 vendors. The Lincoln Heights Village market in College Hill is in its fourth year. Typically there are 10 or so vendors selling fresh produce and homemade goods to eastside residents on Wednesdays, and more vendors are welcome. Because of demand, evening hours were added this year. “Last year we had three produce See Markets, page 14
Butler County: (316) 775-0500 or 1-800- 279-3655 Harvey County: (316) 284-6880 or 1-800-279-3655