Vote’s Final: Ballot recount affirms Prairie Village current form of government

PRAIRIE VILLAGE, Kan. (KCTV) - Prairie Village will maintain its current mayor-council form of government after voters rejected a ballot measure asking whether the city should abandon its current structure.

The Johnson County Board of Canvassers certified the election results Wednesday morning after a voter requested a hand recount of the ballot question from the November election.

The ballot measure asked: “Shall the City of Prairie Village, Kansas, abandon the mayor-council form of government?” Voters said no, and the hand recount confirmed the original results matched exactly.

Johnson County Election Commissioner Fred Sherman said the recount process demonstrates the accuracy of the county’s election system.

“We are here to serve the public. We implement the policies put in place by the state of Kansas; elections here in Johnson County are safe, secure, fair, and accurate,” Sherman said. “The recount process is in place; we have to plan for it. I almost equate it like a 100-year floodplain, you hope it doesn’t happen, but when it does, you have processes and procedures in place.”

According to Sherman, a hand recount costs $5,800, paid for by the person requesting the action.

Sherman said the hand recount was conducted by bipartisan groups to ensure the process was done fairly and correctly. This marks the first recount request in Johnson County since 2022.