Johnson County, Kansas
Most populous county in Kansas, in the Kansas City metro area.
About 125,000 of Johnson County's roughly 300,000 ballots were counted by hand on 9 November in a close-race audit that election commissioner Connie Schmidt called the biggest Kansas has done. Counties must finish by 16 November.
Last refreshed: 11 November 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Why did Johnson County hand-count 125,000 ballots?
Timeline for Johnson County, Kansas
Hand-counted about 125,000 ballots
US Midterms 2026: Chris Mann ousts Kris Kobach in KansasBackground
Johnson County election staff hand-checked about 125,000 ballots out of roughly 300,000 on 9 November 2026; commissioner Connie Schmidt told KCTV5 it was the biggest audit Kansas has done. Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab had ordered close-race audits on 4 November for the six contests within 1%. They use partial hand counts rather than full ones.
Olathe is the county seat and Overland Park the largest city, both in the Kansas City suburbs on the Missouri border. Johnson County counted 609,863 people at the 2020 census, more than any other Kansas county.
The audited races include governor, where Cindy Holscher leads by about 0.6 points, and attorney general, where Chris Mann beat Kris Kobach. Every county must finish by 16 November, and the results feed certification by 1 December.
Reference
What is the county seat of Johnson County, Kansas?
When must Kansas counties finish their 2026 audits?
How many ballots did Johnson County hand-count in 2026?
Why is Johnson County, Kansas hand-counting ballots?
Written with AI from Lowdown's published reporting. Not individually reviewed by an editor. Updated 11 November 2026. Editorial standards.