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Election 2020
Featured stORY
‘It’s either this or nothing’: For people with disabilities in Kansas City, voting isn’t always accessible
When Darla Wilkerson went to absentee vote in person for the upcoming election, she noticed a large sign on the floor in the doorway reminding everyone to socially distance and wear their masks. But the sign was difficult for voters with disabilities, like limited vision, to maneuver around, impeding the accessibility of the polling site. […]
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Voter Guides: How to vote safely in Kansas and Missouri
With the pandemic raging on, Election Day will look a lot different this year. The Beacon has put together these downloadable guides to help you navigate and understand your state’s voting process, protocols, and deadlines:
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Coronavirus in Kansas and Missouri
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Rural Kansas and Missouri face unique challenges with COVID-19
COVID-19 has spread to rural counties in Kansas and Missouri, leading to spikes in cases that weren’t seen in the earliest stages of the pandemic. A combination of factors — population size and distribution, the presence of meatpacking facilities, and COVID-19 outreach programs — is affecting how these areas are responding to the virus. Many high-risk neighborhoods are also more likely to be low-income, immigrant communities, many of whom work in rural Kansas and Missouri meatpacking plants.
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Education
‘Community members are concerned’: COVID-19 cases return to college towns along with students
With the fall semester in full swing, colleges in Kansas and Missouri are scrambling to handle case spikes on their campuses.
With school taking place online, Kansas City families are still struggling to get connected
As students begin the new school year with varying degrees of remote or online learning, the digital divide has become a bigger issue for Kansas City families during the pandemic.
Between free state Kansas and slave state Missouri, learning about the Civil War can be a night and day difference
With recent mass protests against police violence bringing the issue of racism to the forefront, educators say that understanding the workings of racism in present-day America means properly learning about the sins of its past.
Economics
Months into the pandemic, workers in Kansas City are struggling to stay afloat
The most recent data available shows that about 87,000 people across Kansas City, Missouri, and Kansas City, Kansas, have found themselves out of work and out of money in the middle of a worsening global health crisis.
As pandemic presses on, small businesses in Kansas City get creative to survive
As COVID-19 continues to spread in Kansas and Missouri, many small businesses have had to swiftly pivot their business plans to avoid shutting down. And some now see their prepandemic operations as a thing of the past.
In the midst of a pandemic, tenants face the looming threat of eviction
The end of the Jackson County, Missouri, eviction moratorium in response to COVID-19 has highlighted issues around access to low-income housing in Kansas City, Missouri. Meanwhile, Kansans on the other side of the state line have more protections.
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How ballot drop boxes could help Kansans voting by mail this year
With just weeks to go until Election Day, Kansans voting by mail will be able to deliver their ballots at designated ballot drop box locations in their county, providing another option to ensure ballots are received on time.
Notary needed: How Kansas City residents are stepping up to ensure voter participation
In a year when election officials are expecting record turnout numbers and more voters want to vote by mail ahead of Election Day, access to a notary could mean the difference between someone casting their vote remotely and having to vote in person.
How Kansas City-area election workers are trying to keep voters safe on Election Day
To keep voters safe on Election Day, polling places will be equipped with a health and safety apparatus that includes masks, face shields, plexiglass, social distancing markers, hand sanitizer and single-use pen and stylus combos.
Is your local election website as secure as it could be?
Cybersecurity experts say one of the most common and easiest measures to implement is an https encryption. But while many people rely on these local county election websites as trusted sources of election and voting information — particularly in a pivotal election year — many of these information hubs lack proper security measures against cyberattacks.
Voter Guide: How to vote safely in Kansas’ upcoming election
No matter what your voting plan is for Election Day 2020, this nonpartisan guide is here to help you navigate and understand the state’s voting process, protocols, and deadlines so that you can successfully cast your ballot on Nov. 3.
Voter Guide: How to vote safely in Missouri’s upcoming election
No matter what your voting plan is for Election Day 2020, this nonpartisan guide is here to help you navigate and understand the state’s voting process, protocols, and deadlines so that you can successfully cast your ballot on Nov. 3.
Missouri secretary of state contradicts health officials’ advice on Election Day plans
Jay Ashcroft’s comments come at a time when more voters are expressing interest in voting by mail in November.
Local scientists seek solutions for Kansas lakes battling harmful blue-green algae
Blue-green algae blooms have always been a natural, and safe, part of Kansas lakes. But within the past decade, algal amounts have increased to where it can cause the surface of a lake or pond to look like an ugly, putrid-smelling matte of green paint. And it’s a problem affecting dozens of Kansas lakes.
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