The Douglas County Elections Office is located at 711 W. 23rd St., Suite 1, in Lawrence. | Ways to vote in the general election | |
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3, for federal, state, county and township seats. There’s also a proposed constitutional amendment on the ballot. Polling locations will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day.
Advance voting
Registered voters can cast an advance ballot at the Douglas County Elections Office, 711 W. 23rd St. Suite 1, at the following times:
- 8 a.m.-7 p.m. – Thursday and Friday, Oct. 29-30.
- 9 a.m.-2 p.m. – Saturday, Oct. 31.
- 8 a.m.-noon – Monday, Nov. 2 (Office closes at noon by law).
Additional advance voting times, dates and locations include:
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10 a.m.-7 p.m. Thursday and Friday, Oct. 29-30, at the Douglas County Fairgrounds, 2120 Harper St., St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church, 5700 W. Sixth St., and the Lied Center Pavilion, 1600 Stewart Drive.
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9 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31, at the Lecompton Community Building, 333 Elmore St., Eudora City Hall, 4 E Seventh St., and Baldwin Community Center, 712 Chapel St.
Ballot drop boxes
Douglas County voters can place mail-in ballots into a secure drop box until 7 p.m. on Election Day. They are checked daily. Lawrence locations are:
- Historic Courthouse, 1100 Massachusetts St.
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Elections Office, 711 W. 23rd St., Suite 1.
- Treasurer’s Office, 2601 W. Sixth St.
- Golf Course Superintendents Building, 1421 Research Park Drive.
They are also located at:
- Baldwin City Hall, 803 Eighth St.
- Eudora City Hall, 4 E Seventh St.
- Lecompton City Hall, 327 Elmore St.
Helpful links
Residents can check their voter registration, locate their polling location and view a sample ballot on the Kansas Secretary of State's VoterView website.
There are multiple ways to cast a vote, including in-person advance, ballot drop-off, mail, and in-person on Election Day. For details and deadlines, visit our Election Office's ways to vote webpage.
Residents can subscribe to the "Ballot Box" to receive information and updates from the Elections Office by email.
| | Reginald "Reggie" Demby, a military veteran, is an equipment operator lead in Public Works, where he has worked since 2010. Demby served four years in the Marine Corps. | | From serving his country to serving his community, Demby reflects on his career | | |
Discipline is a skill that has been instilled in Reginald “Reggie” Demby, 59, throughout his career — from football player to Marine to his current role as an equipment operator lead with the Douglas County Public Works Department.
All require teamwork, but more importantly, discipline, he said.
“Learning the plays, learning your navigations, learning your job, learning your weapon — how to break it down and put it back together. It’s discipline, discipline, discipline,” he said. “It takes discipline to get up every morning and go to work, get up and go to practice — and in the military, obviously.
You are also going to come across people who aren’t going to agree with you, and it takes discipline not to lash out.”
Demby said his late father, Richard “RJ” Demby, modeled that behavior, and he has carried it with him throughout his career.
That discipline is evident to those who work alongside him at Public Works.
“Reggie always comes in early and with a great attitude to start the day,” Operations Manager Robert Hughes said. “He’s always willing to stay late or come in on an emergency callback.”
Demby is among 52 county employees who will be recognized during Operation Green Light Week, Nov. 4-11, for their military service.
| | A portrait taken of Reggie Demby when he entered the Marine Corps. at age 19. | | Reggie Demby has served on the asphalt, parks, bridge and rock road crews during his 16 years of service with Public Works. | | Reggie Demby, foreground, is among those working on a bridge project in rural Douglas County in this file photo. | | Board of County Commissioners | | |
Douglas County Commission meetings are at 5:30 p.m. Wednesdays in the historic Courthouse, 1100 Massachusetts St., on the second floor in the commission meeting room. Meetings are also available on Zoom.
Commissioners took the following action on regular business agenda items in October:
- On a 4-1 vote, Commissioners approved an extension for a technical assistance contract with MultiPass Consulting to help with the Treatment and Recovery Center operating agreement and lease with Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center. Anderson opposed.
- On a 4-1 vote, Commissioners approved a Monarch Cares pilot program at Lawrence Community Shelter. Anderson opposed.
- Unanimously approved a revised allocation and reimbursement schedule for substance use disorder treatment services for 2026 and proposed allocations for 2027. Anderson was unable to attend.
** Recordings of County Commission meetings can be found on the Douglas County YouTube channel.
County Commissioners have work sessions to study and discuss various topics throughout the year. No action is taken during work sessions. The work sessions are held at 4 p.m. before the business meeting. The following work session is scheduled:
| | Planner Karl Bauer captured this photo of a 3.5 megawatt-hour battery energy storage system in Funafuti, Tuvalu. | Zoning and Codes to host Nov. 6 community drop-in session about battery energy storage systems | | |
The Douglas County Zoning and Codes office will host a community drop-in session about battery energy storage systems from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6, at the Zoning and Codes/Public Works building, 3755 E. 25th St. in Lawrence.
Planner Karl Bauer will provide 15-minute presentations at 2 p.m., 4 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. covering what a BESS entails and the regulations process. Staff will seek community input on topics such as location, notification areas, setbacks and size limitations.
Staff will be available to gather community input on a walk-in basis. Community feedback will help inform staff’s ongoing work and will be shared with the Lawrence-Douglas County Planning Commission as it considers draft regulations.
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Appraiser's Office warns of property tax scam | |
The Douglas County Appraiser’s Office is warning homeowners, particularly seniors, about a property tax scam circulating through online videos and social media. The scam falsely claims that homeowners can reduce or freeze their property taxes by submitting a federal IRS form called “Form 1098-SR.”
No such IRS form or federal property tax relief program exists.
The false claims promote a nonexistent federal program that supposedly allows seniors and other homeowners to freeze their property taxes, lower tax bills or avoid local taxes.
“Our office has received several inquiries about the claim, and we are letting residents know that it is a scam,” County Appraiser Brad Eldridge said. “There is no federal ‘Form 1098-SR’ that freezes or reduces property taxes.”
| Senior Resource Center Manager Megan Poindexter, left, and Sheriff's Office Detective Troy Miller discuss scams targeting seniors during a View from 100 podcast recording at the Lawrence Public Library. |
Sheriff's Office, Senior Resource Center team up
to promote prevention of scams
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Megan Poindexter, manager of the Senior Resource Center for Douglas County, and Detective Troy Miller were featured on the latest episode of the View from 100 podcast. They talked with Sheriff Jay Armbrister about scams targeting older adults and why anyone can be vulnerable.
The group discussed common schemes involving AI-generated voices, spoofed phone numbers, gift cards, cryptocurrency, phishing links and remote access to computers, as well as how scammers use urgency and emotion to pressure people into acting.
The Sheriff and guests shared practical ways to protect yourself: slow down, be skeptical and verify requests using contact information you already trust - instead of relying on a number or link supplied in a suspicious message. They also encouraged using a trusted person as a second set of eyes, contacting your bank or local law enforcement if something feels wrong and speaking up without shame if you’ve been targeted.
DGSO has partnered with SRC, which became a county department in 2025, to provide Foil the Fraudsters, a quarterly presentation at the center, 745 Vermont St. The first one will be at 2 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 3, and registration is available in the SRC events calendar.
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Join us Nov. 12 for an update on
Community Health Improvement Plan
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Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health is hosting a community event about the Douglas County Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 12, at the Carnegie Building, 200 W. Ninth St. in Lawrence.
It's an opportunity to hear from the facilitators of each key area and celebrate the progress made on the initiatives in 2026. The key areas are: access to health services, anti-poverty, behavioral health, birth outcomes, food security and "A Place for Everyone" plan.
Attendees are asked to reserve a spot by filling out this form, but it is not required.
The following Douglas County employees serve on the CHIP Steering Committee: County Administrator Sarah Plinsky, Assistant County Administrator Jill Jolicoeur, Director of Behavioral Health Projects Bob Tryanski and Senior Resource Center Manager Megan Poindexter.
| | Emergency Management to host Winter Weather Readiness Workshop on Dec. 11 | |
Douglas County Emergency Management will host a Winter Weather Readiness Workshop from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Friday, Dec. 11, in the Lawrence Public Library auditorium, 707 Vermont St.
The free workshop will help attendees recognize cold weather-related injuries and illnesses, understand National Weather Service alerts, adjust operations safely and communicate effectively during winter weather events such as blizzards, ice storms and extreme cold. The training is designed for local businesses, nonprofits, event organizers, and agency communicators.
“Winter weather is something we can plan for, and this workshop gives our community practical steps to keep residents and visitors safe,” Deputy Emergency Management Director John Stipetich said. “Strengthening preparedness for extreme weather events is a goal of the community’s Adapt Douglas County plan.
The workshop will feature a panel discussion, followed by facilitated small-group conversations and scenario-based activities that help participants think through real-world responses.
The event is offered in partnership with the National Weather Service, Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical, Douglas County Sustainability, Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health, City of Lawrence’s Homeless Solutions Division and Lawrence Parks, Recreation and Culture.
| | The Senior Resource Center is located at 745 Vermont St. in Lawrence. | | Senior Resource Center offering new '101 Class' | | |
The Senior Resource Center is offering a new “101 Class” for seniors who are new to Douglas County and for residents approaching seniorhood. The class will be held at 2 p.m. the first Wednesday of each month at the center, 745 Vermont St. The first class will be Nov. 4.
The class will include a short presentation about the center’s history and programs, followed by a tour of the building. Family members, friends and caregivers are also welcome to attend.
No registration is required.
Offered only twice a year, these programs tend to fill quickly and seating is limited:
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Do You Need a Trust or a Will? — 4 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 10. Chris Davis, of The Trust Company of Kansas, will explain the key differences between wills and trusts. Although both are estate-planning tools, they differ significantly in how they function and when they take effect. Call 785-842-0543 to register.
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Intro to Social Security — 4 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 18. This program will address when and how to begin receiving Social Security benefits and help participants understand the application process. The presentation will be given by Ann Woodbury, of the Social Security office in Lawrence. Call 785-856-0203 to register.
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Closures in November
Douglas County government offices, District Court and the Senior Resource Center will be closed:
- Wednesday, Nov. 11, for Veterans Day.
- Thursday and Friday, Nov. 26-27, for the Thanksgiving holiday.
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Operation Green Light
Douglas County will pay tribute to veterans by participating in Operation Green Light Week, Nov. 4-11. A green light will shine on the historic courthouse, honoring all those who made immeasurable sacrifices to preserve our freedom. The county employs 52 military veterans.
Douglas County urges businesses, nonprofits and residents to join in the observation.
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