Over 30 thousand Kansans voted this Tuesday. While the numbers give many hope, the hundreds or even thousands of people who gave up are cause for concern. It took me six (yes, 6) hours from the time I joined the line to the time I finally left my caucus site.
In Senate District 8, we did not waste hours debating the candidates or narrowing down delegates to the Congressional District Convention. We stood in line for hours waiting to get into the small church that was our caucus location. The volunteers were forced to take people in groups of slightly more than a hundred.
As the weather turned colder, the rain turned to snow. Those registering as Democrats for the first time were hurried through the line, while those who had been Democrats prior to the caucus were left outside.
In many of the more populated districts, turnout was so great that it took hours to vote. People left because of health concerns, not because of a lack of determination. While many sources have focused on the impressive turn out, remember that the numbers would have been even greater had the caucus sites been large enough to accommodate the crowds.
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