State elections affect everything from university funding to healthcare costs, Jennifer Day, Democratic Kansas Secretary of State candidate, said during a town hall Tuesday evening at Forum Hall in the Student Union.

Day, a former state representative, spoke at the first event of a 2026 candidate town hall series. The Manhattan branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and Indivisible MHK — a pro-democracy grassroots progressive organization founded in Manhattan — sponsored the event along with K-State Young Democrats. 

While federal races often dominate political conversation, Day said state and local decisions frequently have a more direct impact on students and young voters.

“Legislators are deciding a lot about what’s happening with your funding for your facility,” Day said. “That’s happening for KU, K-State, Washburn, all of the state schools.”

Day said students are often unaware of how much the state government influences their daily lives.

“Our state-level government and our municipal government are impacting our day-to-day lives,” Day said. “From the roads that we drive on to the schools that we go to, my health care costs have changed a lot over the last few years. That’s due to a lot of what’s happening in our legislature.”

The event was the first in a town hall series designed to connect Manhattan voters and K-State students directly with candidates on the ballot ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, according to the Indivisible MHK website.

Rep. Sydney Carlin, D-Manhattan, whose 66th district includes all of campus and much of the city, said younger voters should educate themselves on candidates before casting their ballot.

“I think [students not following politics] is normal, but we need to change that,” Carlin said. “It’s really dangerous to vote if you don’t have any idea who you’re going to vote for when you walk in the door. If you don’t vote, you have no voice in the election.”

Amber Starling, board member of Indivisible MHK, said many college students underestimate the influence they can have at the ballot box.

“While I was in college, I didn’t realize how much political power I had, so I never tried to use it,” Starling said. “Now I look at State House District 66 and see that 49% of eligible voters in that district are college-aged, and that voter turnout is only about 20%. K-State students could run that district and demand whatever they wanted from that elected official.”

Philip Nel, board member of Indivisible MHK and K-State university distinguished professor, said organizers wanted to make state politics more accessible to students by bringing candidates directly to campus. Nel also said hearing directly from candidates helps voters make more informed decisions at the polls.

“People should be able to see the difference between the candidates they’re voting for,” Nel said. “The candidates work for you, not the other way around. This is a chance for you to hire those people, or to fire people who you do not like currently doing the job.”

Organizers also invited Pat Proctor, Republican secretary of state candidate, to speak at the event, but he declined.

Much of Day’s discussion focused on voter education and helping college students understand the election process. She encouraged students to make a plan before Election Day and stressed that K-State students can either vote in their hometown (if accessible) or update their registration to vote in Riley County. Voter registration in Kansas closes Oct. 13, early voting begins Oct. 14 and citizens who are registered to vote can request mail-in ballots any time before Election Day on Nov. 3.

“Your vote matters,” Day said. “Get involved, and take your friends with you.”

Students will have another opportunity to hear directly from a candidate when the 2026 Town Hall series continues at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 22, at Forum Hall in the K-State Student Union. The event will feature Democratic congressional candidate Lauren Reinhold.