Kansas state executive official elections, 2020 - Ballotpedia

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Kansas 2020 elections

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Kansas state executive official elections
2022 → ← 2018

Election details
Filing deadline: June 1, 2020
Primary: August 4, 2020 General: November 3, 2020
How to vote
Poll times: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Voting in Kansas
Ballotpedia analysis
Federal and state primary competitiveness State executive elections in 2020 Impact of term limits in 2020 State government trifectas and triplexes
Other state executive elections

Five state executive offices were up for election in Kansas in 2020:

State Board of Education (5 seats)

Candidates and election results

State Board of Education

District 2

General election

General election for Kansas State Board of Education District 2

Melanie Haas defeated Benjamin Hodge in the general election for Kansas State Board of Education District 2 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Melanie Haas (D)	55.6	99,786
		Benjamin Hodge (R)	44.4	79,696

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 179,482
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Kansas State Board of Education District 2

Melanie Haas advanced from the Democratic primary for Kansas State Board of Education District 2 on August 4, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Melanie Haas	100.0	33,167

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 33,167
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Kansas State Board of Education District 2

Benjamin Hodge defeated David Krug in the Republican primary for Kansas State Board of Education District 2 on August 4, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Benjamin Hodge	51.4	21,792
	Submit photo	David Krug	48.6	20,614

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 42,406
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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District 4

General election

General election for Kansas State Board of Education District 4

Incumbent Ann Mah won election in the general election for Kansas State Board of Education District 4 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Ann Mah (D)	97.8	107,379
		Other/Write-in votes	2.2	2,408

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 109,787
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Kansas State Board of Education District 4

Incumbent Ann Mah advanced from the Democratic primary for Kansas State Board of Education District 4 on August 4, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Ann Mah	100.0	27,731

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 27,731
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Kansas State Board of Education District 4

No candidate advanced from the primary.

		Candidate	%	Votes
	Submit photo	Josh Harris (Write-in)	100.0	2,579

Vote totals may be incomplete for this race.
	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 2,579
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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District 6

General election

General election for Kansas State Board of Education District 6

Incumbent Deena Horst won election in the general election for Kansas State Board of Education District 6 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Deena Horst (R)	100.0	108,085

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 108,085
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Kansas State Board of Education District 6

No candidate advanced from the primary.

		Candidate	%	Votes
	Submit photo	David Colburn (Write-in)	100.0	1,376

Vote totals may be incomplete for this race.
	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,376
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Kansas State Board of Education District 6

Incumbent Deena Horst advanced from the Republican primary for Kansas State Board of Education District 6 on August 4, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Deena Horst	100.0	42,828

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 42,828
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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District 8

General election

General election for Kansas State Board of Education District 8

Betty Arnold defeated incumbent Kathy Busch in the general election for Kansas State Board of Education District 8 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Betty Arnold (D)	51.4	49,467
		Kathy Busch (R)	48.6	46,821

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 96,288
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Kansas State Board of Education District 8

Betty Arnold advanced from the Democratic primary for Kansas State Board of Education District 8 on August 4, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Betty Arnold	100.0	15,375

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 15,375
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Kansas State Board of Education District 8

Incumbent Kathy Busch defeated Trish Hileman in the Republican primary for Kansas State Board of Education District 8 on August 4, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Kathy Busch	61.5	11,242
		Trish Hileman	38.5	7,043

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 18,285
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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District 10

General election

General election for Kansas State Board of Education District 10

Incumbent Jim McNiece won election in the general election for Kansas State Board of Education District 10 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jim McNiece (R)	100.0	108,801

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 108,801
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Kansas State Board of Education District 10

Incumbent Jim McNiece advanced from the Republican primary for Kansas State Board of Education District 10 on August 4, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jim McNiece	100.0	37,261

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 37,261
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Context of the 2020 elections

Party control in Kansas

Kansas Party Control: 1992-2026
No Democratic trifectas • Sixteen years of Republican trifectas

Year	92	93	94	95	96	97	98	99	00	01	02	03	04	05	06	07	08	09	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25	26
Governor	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D
Senate	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R
House	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R

Voter information

How the primary works

A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. In Kansas, parties decide who may vote in their primaries. As of October 2025, the Democratic Party held an open primary and the Republican Party held a closed primary. Regardless of the party's rules, an unaffiliated voter can declare their affiliation with a party on the day of the primary and vote in that party's primary. Previously affiliated voters who want to change their affiliation to vote in a different party's primary must do so before the candidate filing deadline, which is June 1 or the next business day.^[1]^[2]

For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

Poll times

Unless otherwise set by the county, polls in Kansas open at 7:00 a.m. and close at 7:00 p.m. Central time (6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Mountain time). Counties are given the discretion to open polls as early as 6 a.m. and close polls as late as 8 p.m. Central time (5 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mountain time). Polls must be open for a minimum of 12 consecutive hours and may not close before 7 p.m. Central time (6 p.m. Mountain time).^[3] Anyone in line when the polls close must be allowed to vote.^[4]

Registration requirements

Check your voter registration status here.

To vote in Kansas, one must be a citizen of the United States and a resident of Kansas. In order to register, an individual must be least 18 years old before the next election, have "received final discharge from imprisonment, parole, or conditional release if convicted of a felony," and have abandoned their previous residence or name. Voters must register at least 21 days prior to Election Day. Registration can be done by completing and returning an application, either in person or by mail. Registration may also be completed online.^[5]

On June 18, 2018, a federal judge struck down a Kansas law requiring citizens to present proof of citizenship when registering to vote. A federal appeals court subsequently affirmed that decision. For more information, see below.

Automatic registration

See also: Automatic voter registration

Kansas does not practice automatic voter registration.

Online registration

See also: Online voter registration

Kansas has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.

Same-day registration

See also: Same-day voter registration

Kansas does not allow same-day voter registration.

Residency requirements

To register to vote in Kansas, you must be a resident of the state. According to the Kansas Secretary of State's office, "Kansas does not have a length of residence requirement. However, you have to be registered 21 days prior to an election and be a resident of Kansas at the time of registration."^[4]

Verification of citizenship

See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States

Kansas does not require voters to provide proof of citizenship at the time of voter registration. An individual must attest that they are a U.S. citizen when registering to vote. According to the state's voter registration application, an applicant who provides false information "may be convicted and sentenced to up to 17 months in prison."^[6]

In 2013, Kansas enacted a law requiring voters to provide proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote. However, the provision was challenged in court and on June 18, 2018, Judge Julie Robinson, of the United States District Court for the District of Kansas, struck down the proof of citizenship requirement and ordered Secretary of State Kris Kobach (R) to stop enforcing the rule.^[7] On June 20, 2018, Kobach’s office advised county clerks to comply with Robinson’s order.^[8] Kobach appealed the decision to the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, which heard oral arguments on March 18, 2019. On April 29, 2020, a Tenth Circuit panel affirmed the district court's ruling.^[9]^[10] In 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal by Kansas in the case, allowing Robinson's ruling to stand.^[11]

All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment.^[12] Seven states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Wyoming — have laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. One state, Ohio, requires proof of citizenship only when registering to vote at a Bureau of Motor Vehicles facility. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allows noncitizens to vote in some local elections. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.

Verifying your registration

The Voter View site, run by the Kansas Secretary of State office, allows residents to check their voter registration status online.

Voter ID requirements

Kansas requires voters to present photo identification while voting.^[13]

The following list of accepted forms of identification was current as of October 2025. Click here for the most current information from the Kansas Secretary of State.

“

State law requires voters to show photographic identification when casting a vote in person. If the photo ID has an expiration date on it, the ID must not have expired at the time of voting. An acceptable photo ID does not have to have an expiration date on the document in order to be valid. Acceptable forms of photo ID include:

A driver’s license or nondriver’s identification card issued by Kansas or by another state or district of the United States;
A concealed carry of handgun license issued by Kansas or a concealed carry of handgun or weapon license issued by another state or district of the United States;
A United States passport;
An employee badge or identification document issued by a municipal, county, state, or federal government office;
A military identification document issued by the United States;
A student identification card issued by an accredited postsecondary institution of education in the state of Kansas;
A public assistance identification card issued by a municipal, county, state or federal government office; and
An identification card issued by an Indian tribe.

Exemptions exist for individuals 65 years of age or older who may use expired photo IDs or individuals whose religious beliefs prohibit photographic identification. Voters with religious objections may sign an affidavit before the election or at the poll on election day to be exempt.

State photo ID requirements do not apply to military and overseas citizens who vote under the federal Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA); for mail ballot elections; or voters who qualify, apply and are accepted to the permanent advance voting list, as long as they remain on the permanent advance voting list.^[14]

”

To view Kansas state law pertaining to voter identification, click here.

Voters who do not have a photo ID can obtain one for free through the Division of Vehicles, Kansas Department of Revenue. The voter must provide proof of identity and proof of residence.^[15] The voter must also sign an affidavit. Voters can access the Certification Requesting Fee Waiver for Nondriver Identification Card form at all driver's license offices, county election offices, and on the secretary of state's website. If a voter does not have the proper documents to obtain a nondriver ID card, he or she can obtain a Kansas birth certificate from the Kansas Office of Vital Statistics for free. Voters can also apply for a free State Voter Identification Document. Voters should contact the election division of the secretary of state's office at election@sos.ks.gov or (800) 262-VOTE to apply.^[13]

Early voting

Kansas permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website.

Early voting allows citizens to cast their ballots in person at a polling place before an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.

Forty-seven states and the District of Columbia permit no-excuse early voting. Alabama, Mississippi, and New Hampshire do not offer no-excuse early voting.

Absentee voting

All voters are eligible to vote absentee in Kansas. There are no special eligibility requirements for voting absentee. An absentee ballot application must be received by the Tuesday prior to the election. Kansas refers to absentee voting as "advance voting."^[16]

Past elections

2018

The following elections took place in 2018:

See also

Kansas	State Executive Elections	News and Analysis

Kansas State Executive Offices Kansas State Legislature Kansas Courts	2026 • 2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 Kansas elections: 2026 • 2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016	Party control of state government State government trifectas State of the state addresses Partisan composition of governors

External links

Suggest a link

State of Kansas official website

Footnotes

↑ Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes, "Kan. Stat. Ann. § 25–3301," accessed October 15, 2025
↑ Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes, "Kan. Stat. Ann. § 25–3304," accessed October 15, 2025
↑ Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes, "25-106. Hours of voting; change of hours, how made; rules and regulations," accessed October 15, 2025
↑ ^4.0 ^4.1 State of Kansas Secretary of State, “Frequently Asked Questions” accessed October 15, 2025 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "FAQ" defined multiple times with different content
↑ Kansas Secretary of State, "Kansas Voter Registration Instructions," accessed October 15, 2025
↑ Kansas Secretary of State, "Kansas Voter Registration Application," accessed October 15, 2025
↑ United States District Court for the District of Kansas, "Fish v. Kobach and Bednasek v. Kobach: Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law," June 18, 2018
↑ The Topeka Capital-Journal, "Kobach's office tells counties to stop asking for proof of citizenship," June 20, 2018
↑ AP News, "Kansas hopes to resurrect proof-of-citizenship voting law," March 18, 2019
↑ United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, "Fish v. Schwab: Opinion and Order," April 29, 2020
↑ [https://www.cjonline.com/story/news/politics/state/2020/12/14/us-supreme-court-wonrsquot-take-up-proof-of-citizenship-case-dealing-blow-to-kobachrsquos-legacy/115147372/ Topeka Capital-Journal, "U.S. Supreme Court won’t take up proof-of-citizenship case, dealing blow to Kobach’s legacy," December 14, 2020
↑ Under federal law, the national mail voter registration application (a version of which is in use in all states with voter registration systems) requires applicants to indicate that they are U.S. citizens in order to complete an application to vote in state or federal elections, but does not require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the application "may require only the minimum amount of information necessary to prevent duplicate voter registrations and permit State officials both to determine the eligibility of the applicant to vote and to administer the voting process."
↑ ^13.0 ^13.1 Kansas Secretary of State, "Elections - FAQ," accessed October 15, 2025
↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
↑ Kansas Department of Health and Environment, "Birth Certificate for Voter ID," accessed October 15, 2025
↑ Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes, “K.S.A. 25-1122” accessed October 15, 2025

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