THOMAS BEAUMONT, The Associated Press

OVERLAND PARK, Kansas (AP) — Independent candidate Greg Orman has been running a competitive race for the Senate in Kansas, but he’s now facing a major challenge: getting his supporters to the polls without an established get-out-the-vote operation. Orman’s opponent, Republican Sen. Pat Roberts, has the benefit of a large GOP turnout apparatus that includes four phone banks and several thousand workers and volunteers. Orman, campaigning without a party behind him, has assembled a smaller group of volunteers to make sure his likely supporters cast their ballots. They will be using a database of registered independents, who are considered most likely to back him.

Orman, a suburban Kansas City businessman, became the top challenger after the Democrat in the race dropped out. Roberts, a three-term incumbent, maintains that Orman is a closet liberal.