Bryan Lowry for the KC Star:

Kansans and Missourians may need to be patient on election night Tuesday. That’s because election night won’t necessarily bring election results.

The unprecedented volume of mail balloting and a shortage of poll workers caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, combined with tightly-contested primary races, creates the conditions for a long election night, or possibly election week. Or longer.

Officials in Kansas, where Republican voters will select a general election contender for the seat of retiring Sen. Pat Roberts, are explicitly cautioning against expecting reliable results Tuesday night. Missouri, which will decide whether to become the38th state to expand eligibility for Medicaid, is more optimistic about a timely outcome.

Tuesday could also be a preview of November 3, when all 50 states and the District of Columbia will be running elections in a pandemic.

Many states have seen long lines for voting this primary season, as a shortage of poll workers has slowed in-person voting. Other states have embraced mail voting as a safer alternative during the pandemic to ensure as many people get to vote as possible.