Dead people voting in Kansas

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Known dead who have not been purged from the list of voters (as of Nov 14, 2007)^[1]

Flossie Glynn, St. Marys, died March 29, 1999. Registered since May 1991, never voted, an "inactive" voter in Pottawatomie County.

W. Clarke Wescoe, Mission, died Feb 29, 2004. Former University of Kansas chancellor, last voted in Aug 2000 primary, an "active" voter in Johnson County.

Warner Moore, Eastborough, died Sept 17, 2006. Congressman Dennis Moore's dad, last voted in Nov 2002 general, an "inactive" voter in Sedgwick County.

Sherman J. Jones, Kansas City, KS, died Feb 21, 2007. Former State Senator, former major league baseball player, an "active" voter in Wyandotte County.

Mary "Biddy" Hurlbut, Tonganoxie, died May 1, 2007. Owner of Peruvian Connection, political activist/donor, an "active" voter in Leavenworth County.

Ruth Fink, Topeka, died Sept 18, 2007. Philanthropist, presidential elector in 2004, an "active" voter in Shawnee County.

Note: The terms "active" vs "inactive" are a bit misleading. A voter is marked "inactive" when a mailing from the election office/county clerk was returned as undeliverable. Federal law prevents such "inactive" voters from being purged until they have missed two presidential elections. However, many county clerks/election offices do not remove voters who have missed such elections. See Map 1 in the reference to see the percentage of inactive voters by county -- Geary County has 31.3% inactive voters.

How is the late W. Clarke Wescoe still an "active" voter in Johnson County after several mailings to his address since his death in 2004? The March 2, 2004 Hays Daily News said “Wescoe died Sunday [Feb 29, 2004] at a Kansas City-area retirement home.” Wescoe's address was the Mission Springs Assisted Living Retirement Homes, which apparently accepts all in-coming mail for any of its current or past residents. The retirement home never marks mail as undeliverable for deceased former residents. When a mailing is returned to the election office, such a voter is marked "inactive."

A review of other voters at the Mission Springs Assisted Living Retirement Homes shows other "active" voters, who may or may not still be there:

A 99 year voter, Ray, hasn’t voted since the Nov 1998 general election. He's an "active" voter.

An 88-year old voter, Betty, registered in July 2000 but has never voted. She's an "active" voter.

A 97 year old voter, Pearl, hasn’t voted since the Nov 1998 general election. She's an "active" voter.

An 88 year old voter, Amanda, hasn’t voted since the Nov 2000 general election. She's an "active" voter.

A 92 year old voter, Joseph, registered in July 2000 but has never voted. He's an "active" voter.

On the other hand, a 98 year old voter at that address, who is on the permanent advance voting list, DID vote in the Nov 2006 general election and is an "active" voter. Only one of 19 voters at that address has been marked as "inactive".

While many voters are removed from the voting rolls when they die, apparently there are still many on the list. How long must one be dead before one is removed from the voting rolls in Kansas?