In one corner of Wyandotte County, only about 3% of voters participated in the last election — and it's not because they don't care. Plus: We'll hear from a newly-naturalized American citizen in Kansas City who's excited about their first chance to vote this year.

National elections are dominating the news, but the Kansas City area has state and local elections, where turnout is routinely much lower. In the first of a series talking to eligible voters in our area, KCUR’s Laura Ziegler went to one of the lowest turnout precincts in Wyandotte County to ask nonvoters: Why?

Nearly 900,000 immigrants and refugees became U.S. citizens in 2023, and the rapidly growing demographic could impact elections. KCUR’s Lawrence Brooks IV has the story of one newly naturalized citizen in the Kansas City metro, voting for the first time to make her voice heard in American democracy.

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Kansas City Today is hosted by Nomin Ujiyediin. It is produced by Byron Love and KCUR Studios, and edited by Gabe Rosenberg, Madeline Fox and Lisa Rodriguez.

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