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).[1] Anyone in line when the polls close must be allowed to vote.[2]
Registration
- 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.[3]
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."[2]
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."[4]
In 2011, Kansas enacted a law requiring voters to provide proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote, with the law taking effect in 2013. However, the provision was challenged in court in 2016. 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.[5] On June 20, 2018, Kobach’s office advised county clerks to comply with Robinson’s order.[6] 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.[7][8] In 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal by Kansas in the case, allowing Robinson's ruling to stand.[9]
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.[10] Six states — Alabama, Arizona, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Wyoming — have laws requiring individuals provide proof of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. Two states, Georgia and Mississippi, require a person provide proof of citizenship if their citizenship status cannot be verified by other means. 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.[11]
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.
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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.[12]
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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.
[13] 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.
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