Want to vote in the August primaries? If you didn't register, it's too late!

Citizens who want to cast ballots in the Aug. 5 primary won't have a chance if they are not already registered.

Tuesday was the last day that a primary voter could change his or her party affiliation – a Democrat, for example, could not vote in a Republican party unless party affiliation was changed by the deadline. However, unaffiliated voters can wait until election day to declare their party affiliation at the polling place.

Some county election offices, such as Douglas County’s, were open until 7 p.m. to accommodate last-minute registrations. Others, including Johnson County, were following their regular office hours and were open until 5 p.m.

Advance voting, usually more popular in November general elections than in August primaries, begins at select locations on Tuesday. Registered voters interested in voting early at a polling place should contact the election office in their county to learn where to vote in advance.

It appeared the number of advance voters could be around the same as during August 2006 primary, at least in Johnson County. A spokesperson said as of July 19, 13,047 people had requested advance ballots in Johnson County. Not all of them will complete and return ballots. In August 2006, 12,500 people ended up voting in advance in Johnson County primaries.

The Secretary of State’s office said as of July 1, a total of 1,647,554 Kansans had registered to vote. Republicans continue to hold a substantial advantage over Democrats in Kansas. In fact, unaffiliated voters slightly outnumber Democrats in the state as well.

The party breakdown, according to the Secretary of State: