Patty Newkirk

There's still time to make your provisional ballots COUNT!

Get down to the Election Office today!

YOUR VOTE COULD MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

IF YOU KNOW A FRIEND OR RELATIVE WITH A PROVISIONAL BALLOT, help them get it resolved.

The Johnson County Election Office will be closed in observance of Veterans Day, but providing updates for your provisional ballots will still be possible.

There is a slot in the Election Office door at 2101 East Kansas City Road, Olathe, Kansas. 66061. Copies of required documents or ID may be inserted into the slot.

Required documents or ID can be photographed and texted to the Election Office at 913-953-9539

Required documents or ID copies may also be faxed to 913-791-1753.

Required documents or ID may also be scanned and emailed to [email protected]

Rules state that photo ID may be submitted until the Monday after the election. If you received a provisional ballot, you also received a receipt explaining why your ballot was provisional. You can resolve your provisional ballot by: 1) mail; 2) hand delivery; 3) email; or 4) fax.

EVERY VOTE SHOULD COUNT!

To all of my supporters, and Residents of Merriam Ward 2 that voted for me:

If there are any last provisional ballots out there for me that could be resolved, and therefore counted at the Johnson County Election Office, please make EVERY EFFORT to get those in TODAY, or help any person you know get theirs in!

If you are wondering what will happen next in this tie race for City Council in Merriam Ward 2, this will be the process of events:

Once every ballot is in at the Johnson County Election Office in Olathe by 5:00 today, Friday, November 10, 2017, (that is, all provisional ballots that have been resolved, and therefore counted as a LEGITIMATE ballot (please see how to get your provisional ballot resolved with the Johnson County Election Office above, either through the slot in the door at their address in this post above, or fax or text or email at the numbers in this post above – so easy, right?) and all of the Advance Ballots have made their way in through the mail to the Election Office (any Advance Ballot that is postmarked on or before Election Day that has still been in the mail system, but arrives at the Election Office today before 5:00 will be counted) they will ALL be counted up.

Have no worries that the Election Office is OFFICIALLY closed to observe Veterans Day today - there are still employees inside, hard at work, counting your ballots.

Then on Monday, November 13th, the FINAL tally will be taken (this is called a “Canvass.”) At 9:00 A.M., the Election Commissioner will make announcements as to Final tallies and results. This is all VERY EXCITING! These ties do not happen all that often! I am told that there will even be a write up in the Shawnee Post as to the results of our City Council Election here in Merriam Ward 2!

So you see why it is SO IMPORTANT to get any final provisional ballots resolved with the Johnson County Election Office TODAY so they can be counted today for the final tally results on Monday.

TODAY IS YOUR LAST CHANCE – PLEASE GET YOUR BALLOT AND VOTE IN TODAY – YOUR BALLOT COULD MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE IN THIS ELECTION!!!

www.jocoelection.org

A COIN FLIP may determine who represents Merriam residents in Ward 2!

Unofficial election results are in!
https://t.co/YGJi3MvMJ5 https://t.co/LDM3MnxOqU

Merriam, Kansas Unofficial Election Results

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Here are my written answers to three of the questions posed during the Shawnee Mission Post for the Merriam Candidate Forum, along with the other Merriam mayoral and council candidates.

Although Brian Knaff, my opponent, was invited to both participate and submit written answers, he did neither.

Merriam City Council candidates on the issues: the Irene B. French Community Center and revitalizing downtown Merriam Based on input from our readers, we asked the candidates running for Merriam City Council to respond to three questions about issues facing the city. Here are their responses: Future of the Irene B. French Community Center Merriam voters recently approved the measure to fund a new $30 million commun...

Interview with Police Chief Mike Daniels: Community Building

I was a debate coach for nearly fifteen years, and a major part of debate is extensive research. The best kind of research comes directly from the person involved in the area of research. I believe this is something that will make me a very effective city council woman – the fact that I have the skill to carefully research complicated issues that will come before the council. In order to become the best candidate possible for Merriam Ward 2, I have set out to interview as many city officials as I could to become as educated about the inner workings of the City of Merriam as possible.

The first official with a schedule opening that coincided with mine was City Police Chief Captain Mike Daniels. Captain Daniels became Police Chief on June 28th, 2014, after Chief Tim Burnett retired.

There were several important areas that Chief Burnett covered with me that I needed to know to fully appreciate the role of the police department in Merriam. The police department has an importance role in building community in Merriam. They also have unique challenges to meet specific to Merriam itself. They must work together as a force, and they are using new technology to better serve the community as a whole.

I am going to present our conversation according to the separate topic areas we discussed.

Community Building

The first important role of the Merriam Police Department is building a sense of community. This helps to make people more comfortable with police presence, to see them as an ally and not an enemy to be feared, to help them feel that the police are on their side, and that they can be called on to help in a time of crises. Chief Daniels stressed that, as opposed to some other police departments, Merriam does not have a separate task force for this. The force, as a whole, is responsible for doing this throughout the department, all the time.

All officers make it a priority to make community building a part of their day. One important area is community outreach. Officers do this with students, such as having students walk to school with cops, going into the schools to have lunch, mingling out in the hallways and conversing, and going into classrooms to read to students. They also have a program I was unaware of called "Coffee with a Cop." Police officers sit at McDonalds, and people can come in and ask them questions! Fun fact I learned, the McDonalds in Merriam is minority owned.

Officers also drop in on businesses to help give a sense of security, and to let criminals (especially shoplifters, which the Chief said are an especially high part of the crime rate) know that the police are on the lookout and in the vicinity. They frequent Town Center at the Home Depot and other businesses there, Sonic and Ikea, and other area businesses.

Another important aspect of outreach is use of social media. The Chief can be reached on Facebook at and Police. The department also makes use of a community event calendar, Twitter and a webpage. The Chief stressed that the force promotes positive relations with minorities, reaching out to the NAACP with Coffee with a Cop, and recently included the NAACP in a special task force meeting to discuss peaceful responses to protests. They take part in the annual "Gumbo Fest" at the Community Center, participate in panels sponsored by minorities, and go and talk to minority groups about recruitment. Another important way to foster a sense of community involves officers attending events in Merriam, such as "Party in the Park," etc. Captain Daniels said, “If there is an event in Merriam, the expectation is that an officer will be there.”

Last day to request an advanced ballot for the November 7th General Election is 31 October.

Vote for Patty Newkirk.

Advanced voting in person for the November 7th General Election started 30 October.

Vote for Patty Newkirk.

I recently participated in the 2017 Candidate Forum for Merriam's Mayor and City Council races. Thank you to the Shawnee Mission Post and the NEJC Chamber of Commerce for jointly hosting the Forum.

The Shawnee Mission Post's article: https://shawneemissionpost.com/2017/10/23/icymi-full-video-from-thursdays-candidate-forum-in-merriam-66952

All candidates were invited. Brian Knaff, my opponent, did not attend.

Important questions about Merriam were posed by the moderator from the NEJC Chamber of Commerce. I worked to give thoughtful and researched answers to these questions.

https://youtu.be/6PImsirkmq0

2017 Candidate Forum in Merriam In preparation for the November 7th general election, NEJC Chamber and Shawnee Mission Post partnered to host a candidate forum for the City. All candidates ...

I am Patty Newkirk. I am running for the Merriam City Council in Ward 2 for Position 2.

I am the only candidate for Ward 2, Position 2 who:

1) participated in the Johnson County Candidate Forum.

2) was endorsed by the MainStream Coalition,

I am also endorsed by the Johnson County Democratic Women.

I have been endorsed by the Johnson County Democratic Women.

Our 2017 Endorsed Candidates Johnson County 2017 Democratic Candidates Angeliina Lawson for JCCC Board of Trustee VoteAngeliinaLawson.com *JCDW Member Ruth E. Goff for USD 230 Spring Hill School, Board Member, Position 6   *JCDW Member Claudia McCormack for Roeland Park City Council *JCDW Member Deann Mitchell for Olathe Counci...

Johnson County Candidate Forum

I am honored by invitation to speak at the Johnson County Candidate Forum on Saturday, October 7th from 12 noon to 1:30 pm. The forum is hosted by the Johnson County NAACP, the Johnson County Latina Leadership Network, and the Olathe Latino Leadership Network.

This forum will allow constituent to hear positions and to ask questions of their own.

I welcome all Merriam residents to attend fun and informative event. It is always beneficial to be involved and ask important questions that will influence both local politics and policies,

A great opportunity to hear views and have your questions voiced and answered.

I am a member of the NAACP.

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