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Let the Voting Begin

You won’t have to put up with those infuriating campaign commercials much longer.

Election Day is Tuesday.

Polls open at 6 a.m. in Missouri and 7 a.m. in Kansas.

While a surprisingly competitive U.S. Senate race in Kansas has hogged the headlines, there’s plenty more at stake.

Kansans will choose a new governor, while Missouri voters face a slate of contentious ballot questions on abortion, gender-transition procedures, the citizen initiative petition process and the state’s congressional map.

Last Week Reviewed

A Referendum on Polling

Tuesday isn’t just a test for the candidates. It’s judgment day for the pollsters, too.

Will they be taking a victory lap? Or once again explaining how they managed to get it so wrong?

The fine print in some of the latest polls raises some interesting questions.

A recent New York Times poll of the Kansas Senate race relied almost exclusively on cellphone interviews. But in an age when most of us treat an unfamiliar number like a scam waiting to happen, who’s actually picking up? And how representative are the people willing to answer?

Meanwhile, CNN’s latest poll in the Marshall-Hamilton race surveyed just 838 likely Kansas voters, with a margin of error of 4.5 percentage points.

But buried beneath the horse race numbers is something potentially more revealing.

Nearly one in seven voters still hadn’t firmly made up their minds.

Eleven percent said they’d picked a candidate but remained open to switching before Election Day. Another 4% were still undecided.

That’s a sizable pool of voters still up for grabs in a race with potentially enormous consequences for control of the U.S. Senate.

When Will We know the Results?

Don’t count on having all the election results before you call it a night Tuesday.

While polls close at 7 p.m. across the Kansas City metro, veteran political observers say it could be days before we know which party controls Congress.

And that’s not some far-fetched scenario. It’s exactly what happened in the 2022 midterms.

It took four days to determine control of the Senate. The House took eight.

Why the wait? Because in some states, Election Day is just the beginning of the counting process.

• In California, ballots postmarked by Election Day can arrive up to seven days later. Nevada allows four days.
• Alaska and Maine use ranked choice voting, which can add more than a week to the process, if no candidate wins an outright majority.

So, while the candidates are hoping for a decisive victory Tuesday, the rest of us may need to stock up on coffee.

Election night could turn into election week.

Data Centers on the Ballot

Move over, politicians. There’s a new villain on the campaign trail.

Data centers.

Voters in 13 states face local ballot measures to restrict the power-hungry facilities, including right here in Kansas.

On Tuesday, residents of Ottawa, Emporia and El Dorado will decide whether to ban hyperscale data centers within their city limits.

But as public opposition grows, the tech industry is fighting back with its checkbook.

According to NBC News, a new pro data center political action committee is spending big to influence the midterms.

One of its largest ad buys is in Kansas, where the PAC is spending more than $1.5 million to help elect Republican gubernatorial candidate Ty Masterson. His Democratic opponent, Cindy Holscher, is calling for a statewide moratorium on new data center projects.

Five Questions for the Day After Election Day

• A New Calling for Adam Hamilton?

If Adam Hamilton falls short in his U.S. Senate bid, will he be content to return to the pulpit at the Church of the Resurrection? Or has the campaign given him a taste for a bigger political stage, perhaps as a national media voice or a new player in Democratic politics?

• Will a Marshall Loss Change Moran’s Plans?

If Marshall loses his reelection bid, could it convince Kansas’ other U.S. senator to call it quits? Jerry Moran isn’t on Tuesday’s ballot, but the outcome could influence whether he seeks another six-year term in 2028.

• What’s the Nex Big Ballot Battle?

If Missouri voters approve Amendment 6, which citizen initiative will be first to take advantage of its protections against legislative interference? My money is on a $25 minimum wage. A statewide campaign is already underway. Could Missouri voters soon be giving themselves a raise that lawmakers can’t take away?

• Does Laura Kelly Have One Last Surprise?

Once the Kansas governor’s race is settled, will outgoing Gov. Laura Kelly finally reveal her own next chapter? The two-term Democrat has been tight lipped about life after the governor’s mansion. But could she have one final political act up her sleeve? Advocates are pressing her to impose a moratorium on the death penalty before leaving office. Will she use her final weeks to make a decision that could outlast her administration?

• Who Else Wants to be Mayor?

With the midterms in the rearview mirror, will Kansas City’s next election finally get some fresh attention?

Three city council members have already announced bids to succeed Mayor Quinton Lucas. But with just eight weeks until the candidate filing deadline, is another big name preparing to enter the fray? Nearly a dozen hopefuls sought the job the last time the mayor’s office was up for grabs in 2019.

Christmas Arrives Early

It’s beginning to feel a lot like… Christmas?

While most of us still haven’t taken down our Halloween decorations, the Mayor’s Christmas tree arrives Thursday morning at Crown Center.

The towering 100-foot Douglas fir is traveling some 2,000 miles from Oregon on a specially designed trailer to get here.

Also this week…

The Crown Center Ice Terrace opens Friday for its 54th season, with free skating, coffee and hot chocolate from 6 to 9 a.m.

Big Names Take the Stage

Not interested in watching election returns Tuesday night? Kansas City has an alternative.

The Jonas Brothers take over T-Mobile Center on Election Night.

And they’re not the only big act coming to town.

Country superstar Garth Brooks rolls into T-Mobile Center for two shows Friday and Saturday night.

After months of campaign rallies, political speeches and attack ads, it might be refreshing to hear an arena full of people all singing the same tune.

Roos Return Downtown

The Roos are hopping back downtown.

After eight years away, UMKC men’s basketball returns to Municipal Auditorium Friday night for its home opener against Southern Illinois. Tipoff is at 7:30 p.m.

The move is part of a broader effort to revitalize the program, which includes hiring a new head coach, recruiting better players and a belief that greater success on court will draw larger crowds to games.

The Roos’ current home, the Swinney Center, has a capacity of 1,500 people, making it one of the smallest venues in Division I sports.

In other sports news…

The Kansas City Chiefs are looking to stop the bleeding after back-to-back losses. They’ll try to right the ship Sunday when the New York Jets land at Arrowhead for a noon showdown.

Nick Haines tracks the region’s most impactful, confusing and downright head-scratching news stories on Week in Review, Friday nights at 7:30 p.m. on Kansas City PBS.