Shawnee County, Kansas, Sales Tax for Park, Zoo, and Children's Center Measure (November 2022)

Shawnee County Sales Tax Measure
Election date November 8, 2022
Topic County tax
Status Approved
Type Referral

Shawnee County Sales Tax Measure was on the ballot as a referral in Shawnee County on November 8, 2022. It was approved.

A "yes" vote supported enacting a 0.2% countywide sales tax to provide funding for Gage Park, the Topeka Zoo, and the Kansas Children's Discovery Center.

A "no" vote opposed enacting a 0.2% countywide sales tax to provide funding for Gage Park, the Topeka Zoo, and the Kansas Children's Discovery Center.

Election results

Shawnee County Sales Tax Measure
Result		Votes	Percentage
Yes		40,581	62.35%
No		24,503	37.65%

Results are officially certified.

Source

Text of measure

Ballot title

The ballot title for Sales Tax Measure was as follows:

“

Shall a Gage Park Improvement Authority be created and supported through the levy of a 0.2% countywide sales tax to benefit Gage Park, the Topeka Zoo and Kansas Children's Discovery Center?

”

Path to the ballot

See also: Laws governing local ballot measures in Kansas

The Shawnee County Board of Commissioners voted to refer the measure to the ballot.

How to cast a vote

See also: Voting in Kansas

See below to learn more about current voter registration rules, identification requirements, and poll times in Kansas.

How to vote in Kansas

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). Anyone in line when the polls close must be allowed to vote.

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.

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."

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."

A Kansas state law that went into effect in 2013 required 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. On June 20, 2018, Kobach’s office advised county clerks to comply with Robinson’s order. 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.

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. 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.

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.

”

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. 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.

See also

Local measures

• Local measures in 2022
• County tax on the ballot

Kansas

• Kansas 2022 local measures
• Local ballot measures, Kansas
• Shawnee County, Kansas

News and analysis

• State and local preemption conflicts
• Measures advancing national agendas