Media Advisory for 2026 General Election, Nov. 3
For Media Personnel
Friday, October 30, 2026
Contact
Strategic Communications
316-660-9370
(Sedgwick County, Kan.) – The 2026 General Election will take place Tuesday, Nov. 3, with 109 polling locations across Sedgwick County open from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Voters are encouraged to check their polling location, as some registered voters were reassigned due to the expansion of locations in 2026. Voters can check their polling place and view their sample ballot at Kansas Secretary of State | VoterView (voteks.org).
When polling places close Tuesday, the Sedgwick County Election Office will begin the process of reporting unofficial results for the election.
How many votes have been cast so far?
Through the close of voting on Thursday, Oct. 29, more than 57,500 registered voters have cast early ballots at the 20 advance voting locations in Sedgwick County. There are more than 350,000 total registered voters in Sedgwick County, the highest number in the County’s history.
The Election Office mailed more than 22,000 advance ballots to voters who applied to vote by mail. More than 14,000 mail ballots have been returned. Advance mail ballots can be returned to any of the 17 community drop boxes in Wichita, at any polling site or directly to the Election Office.
General Election statistics can be followed at Sedgwick County Election Office | General Election Dashboard.
Election Day Media Coverage
Media personnel wishing to record video inside a polling location are asked to check in with the Supervising Judge dedicated to each site. Please be mindful not to disrupt citizens in the process of voting and not to show individual ballots. No voting will take place at the Election Office on Election Day.
Sedgwick County Election Commissioner Laura Rainwater will be available for media interviews at the following times and locations:
• 7 a.m.: Price-Harris Communications Magnet Elementary School — 706 N. Armour St.
• 4 p.m.: Gardiner Elementary School – 1951 S. Laura Rd.
• Approx. 9:30 p.m.: Sedgwick County Election Office – 3639 N. Comotara St.
Separate 1-on-1 interviews will be granted if properly coordinated with Sedgwick County Strategic Communications.
Additional polling sites recommended for media coverage include:
• Life Church West Wichita – 3210 N. Maize Rd.
• Riverside Christian Church – 1001 Litchfield N.
• Church of the Magdalen - 12626 E. 21st St. N.
• Linwood Recreation Center - 1901 S. Kansas St.
Election Night Media Coverage
An Election Office collaboration room will be available from 6:30-10 p.m. at the Sedgwick County Election Office, 3639 N. Comotara St., for the media to monitor election results and conduct interviews. Media interested in photographs and/or b-roll will be permitted with proper notification of Sedgwick County Strategic Communications. Media will be asked to leave the Election Office collaboration room following the election night interview with Rainwater due to building security. Media are welcome to conduct live shots outside of the Election Office.
The media point of contact for Election Day is Election Commissioner Laura Rainwater or Brandon Zenner, Community Relations Specialist. Contact information is:
• Laura Rainwater, laura.rainwater@sedgwick.gov, (316) 660-7121
• Brandon Zenner, brandon.zenner@sedgwick.gov, (816) 508-8945
When will results be available?
Votes cast at polling places on Election Day are returned to the Election Office and tabulated. The unofficial results will be updated periodically until all precincts are reporting. The first unofficial results will include advance in-person votes and mail ballots returned to the Election Office prior to Election Day. Final Election Day results are unofficial. The results will not be official until the final canvass for the election is held on Monday, Nov. 16.
When unofficial results are available, they will be released to these sites in the following order:
1- Sedgwick County Election Office website
https://www.sedgwickcounty.org/elections/election-results/
2- Sedgwick County social media accounts
Facebook – Sedgwick County Government
X – @SedgwickCounty
3- Email
Distributed by communications@sedgwick.gov
What ballots are left to count after Election Day?
Mail ballots received by the Election Office on Election Day, including those that were returned to drop boxes or polling places, or mail ballots sent by 7 p.m. Election Day and received during the three-day grace period will be counted after Election Day.
Additional updates to the unofficial results will be released as needed.
Provisional ballots will be reviewed and counted at the 2026 General Election canvass, which begins on Thursday, Nov. 12, at 9 a.m. at the Election Office. The results will be certified when the canvass reconvenes Monday, Nov. 16, at 2 p.m. Media and the public are welcome to attend the canvass or view online on the Sedgwick County Government Facebook page. Official final results will be released after the canvass.
For more election information and a calendar of important dates, visit Election Office | Sedgwick County, Kansas.
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