After a long and contentious midterm election, the election boards representing Kansas City voters have released their official election results for 2022. The results among Kansas City precincts offer a detailed look at the political landscape within the city, with clear political divisions visible on election maps within and across county lines.

With another election coming in April 2023 for Kansas City’s mayor and City Council members, issues like local control of the Kansas City Police Department and availability of affordable housing have already become key issues for candidates.

Using the official tallies, The Beacon has created election maps to visualize the results for three key elections: the U.S. Senate race between Trudy Busch Valentine and Eric Schmitt, Missouri Constitutional Amendment 4 to increase the budget percentage Kansas City must give to police, and Kansas City’s Question 2, which allocated $50 million in bonds to pay for affordable housing. 

Results from Cass County, where fewer than 150 Kansas Citians reside, were not included.

With Kansas City’s complete election maps in hand, here are some takeaways.

Amendment 4 to increase funding for the Kansas City Police Department

• As a whole, Kansas City voted against Amendment 4, by a margin of 47% in favor to 53% opposed.
• In every Northland precinct, the majority of voters supported Amendment 4, despite the strong opposition of Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas. 
• Kansas City voters in Jackson County strongly opposed the amendment, with 61% voting no. The only areas that supported the amendment were Wards 13, 20, 22 and 24, in the southern and eastern portions of the city.
• Opposition was strongest in Ward 4, which covers Roanoke, Valentine and Central Hyde Park, and Ward 7. Here, only 25% voted yes.
• Support was strongest north of Highway 152 in both Platte and Clay counties.
• Every precinct that voted for Busch Valentine by more than 70% also voted no on Amendment 4.
• Every precinct that supported Schmitt also voted yes on the amendment.

Question 2 for the Housing Trust Fund

• More than three-quarters of Kansas City voters supported Question 2, which allocates $50 million in bonds to affordable housing.
• Only five precincts voted against this measure, including four in Clay County and one in Platte County.
• Roughly one in 40 voters citywide skipped Question 2 and did not vote either way.
• Support was stronger in and near the more dense urban core, including Wards 1, 2, 3, 4, 7 and 14, and it was weaker in the more rural and suburban areas of the city, such as areas north of Highway 152 and near Liberty.

U.S. Senate race

• Kansas City as a whole voted overwhelmingly for Busch Valentine, with 69% of the vote. Only 29% of Kansas City residents voted for Schmitt.
• Northland precincts voted more strongly for Schmitt than nearly every precinct south of the Missouri River, with the two exceptions of Ward 20 and Ward 22 in the southwestern corner of the city.
• Busch Valentine received 50% of the vote among Kansas Citians in Clay County, followed by Schmitt, who received 47% of the vote. 
• In Platte County, 54% of Kansas City votes went to Busch Valentine, followed by 43% for Schmitt.
• South of the Missouri River, 79% of the vote went to Busch Valentine, and Schmitt received 19% of votes.
• The precinct that most strongly supported Schmitt was 21 Chouteau 22 in southeastern Clay County, with 84 total votes cast for Schmitt, compared to 42 for Busch Valentine. 
• The strongest support for Busch Valentine came from Ward 7, the area of Kansas City roughly between Troost Avenue on the west, Cleveland Avenue on the east, 41st Street on the north and 55th Street on the south. Here, Busch Valentine won 93% of the vote.

Voter turnout

• Voter turnout was highest in Platte County, where 51% of registered Kansas City voters returned ballots.
• South of the river, 39% of total registered voters returned ballots. Turnout was highest along Ward Parkway between 60th Street and Gregory Boulevard — nearly 60%. This is the highest voter turnout in any part of Kansas City. 
• Voter turnout in Jackson County was lowest east of Troost Avenue, a historic economic and racial dividing line in Kansas City created by racist housing practices. These election wards showed the strongest support for Busch Valentine.
• In Clay County, the precincts with the highest voter turnout tended to be the precincts that supported Eric Schmitt — particularly those near Liberty. Out of the 10 precincts with the highest voter turnout, eight voted for Schmitt.