Election Day is already off to a disastrous start in Kansas, where a polling location in Leavenworth County ran out of ballots Tuesday morning, leaving frustrated voters waiting more than an hour and reportedly forcing some to leave without casting their votes.
The stunning election administration failure unfolded at the Linwood Community Building in downtown Linwood, where voters arrived Tuesday morning expecting to participate in the crucial 2026 midterm elections.
Instead, they discovered that county election officials had failed to provide enough ballots for their precinct.
According to KCTV5’s Election Day report, the polling location was short of ballots for Kansas House District 38, creating long lines and delays as election workers scrambled to print and deliver additional ballots.
The polling site serves voters in two different Kansas House districts, District 38 and District 42. The shortage specifically affected voters requiring the District 38 ballot.
And the situation was serious enough that some voters were reportedly turned away.
KMBC 9 News reported that a caller said voters were turned away at the building’s doors because election workers did not have enough ballots.
According to KSHB 41 News, the Leavenworth County Election Office acknowledged that it had not ordered enough ballots.
County officials initially printed another 200 ballots for delivery to Linwood, approximately 45 minutes away, while working to prepare roughly 800 additional ballots.
Voters reportedly waited more than an hour as officials attempted to correct the problem.
The Leavenworth County Election Office publicly acknowledged the shortage, describing it as an administrative mistake involving the Linwood/Sherman H-38 ballot.
In a statement reported by KMBC, election officials apologized for the disruption and said they began working to correct the problem as soon as it was discovered.
But an apology doesn’t give voters back the time they lost standing in line.
And it certainly doesn’t guarantee that every voter who left the polling location will be able to return before polls close.
County officials urged anyone unable to vote because of the shortage to return to the Linwood Community Building or contact the county clerk’s office for assistance before the 7 p.m. deadline.
WATCH:
🚨 NEW: A Kansas polling place RAN OUT of ballots this morning after the county delivered only 10 PERCENT of the ballots needed
By 8am, voters were being TURNED AWAY. It took over an HOUR AND A HALF for more ballots to be delivered.
How does this even happen?! https://t.co/NI7g5oYsUF
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) November 3, 2026
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