Voting in Kansas
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The policies governing voter participation are enacted and enforced primarily at the state level. These policies, which include voter identification requirements, early voting provisions, online voter registration systems, and more, dictate the conditions under which people cast their ballots in their respective states.
This article includes the following information about voting policies in Kansas:
- Voter registration details, including deadlines and eligibility requirements.
- In-person voting details, including identification requirements, poll times, and early voting provisions.
- Absentee/mail-in voting deadlines and rules.
- Details about Voting rules for people convicted of a felony.
- Contact information for election agencies.
Click here for more information about election administration in the state, including voter list maintenance policies, provisional ballot rules, post-election auditing practices, and additional election policy context.
For information on elections happening this year, click here.
Do you have questions about your elections? Looking for information about your local election official? Click here to use U.S. Vote Foundation’s election official lookup tool.
Voter registration
Eligibility and registration details
- 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. 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.[1]
In-person voting
Poll times
- See also: State poll opening and closing 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).[2] An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.[3]
Voter identification
- See also: Voter identification laws by state
Kansas requires voters to present photo identification while voting.[4]
Voters can present the following forms of identification:
- Driver's license or nondriver's identification card issued by Kansas or by another state or district of the United States
- 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
- United States passport
- Employee badge or identification document issued by a municipal, county, state, or federal government office
- Military identification document issued by the United States
- Student identification card issued by an accredited postsecondary institution of education in the state of Kansas
- Public assistance identification card issued by a municipal, county, state, or federal government office
- Identification card issued by an Indian tribe
A photo ID does not need to have an expiration date, but, if it does have an expiration date, it must not have expired at the time of voting. If the voter is over the age of 65, he or she can use an expired ID.[4]
The following voters are exempt from providing photo ID:[4]
- Military and overseas citizens who vote under the federal Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA)
- Voters who vote in mail ballot elections, which are limited to local jurisdictions holding special question-submitted elections
- Voters who are accepted to the permanent advance voting list
- Any voter who objects to having his or her photo taken because of his or her religious beliefs. The voter can complete and sign the Declaration of Religious Objection form.
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.[4]
Early voting
- See also: Early voting
Kansas permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website.
Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to 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.
Absentee/mail-in voting
- See also: Absentee/mail-in 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."[5]
Local election officials
Do you need information about elections in your area? Are you looking for your local election official? Click here to visit the U.S. Vote Foundation and use their election official lookup tool. |
Voting rules for people convicted of a felony
In Kansas, people convicted of a felony offense may not vote until they have completed their entire sentence, including parole or probation, at which time their voting rights are automatically restored. Residents of other states serving a sentence in Kansas dictated by a felony crime may, however, be able to use an absentee ballot to vote in their home state, depending on the state's laws. For more information on Kansas' rules for restoring voting rights to people convicted of a felony, click here.
Voting rights for people convicted of a felony vary from state to state. In the majority of states, people convicted of a felony cannot vote while they are incarcerated but may regain the right to vote upon release from prison or at some point thereafter.[6]
Election administration agencies
Election agencies
- See also: State election agencies
Individuals seeking additional information about election administration in Kansas can contact the following local, state, and federal agencies.
Kansas County Election Officers
Secretary of State Office, Elections Division
- Memorial Hall, 1st Floor
- 120 SW 10th Avenue
- Topeka, KS 66612-1594
- Phone: 785-296-4564
- Toll free: 1-800-262-8683
- Email: election@sos.ks.gov
- Website: http://www.kssos.org/
Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission
- 901 S. Kansas Avenue
- Topeka, Kansas 66612
- Phone: 785-296-4219
- Fax: 785-296-2548
- Email: KGEC_Ethics@ks.gov
- Website: https://ethics.kansas.gov
U.S. Election Assistance Commission
- 633 3rd Street NW, Suite 200
- Washington, DC 20001
- Phone: 301-563-3919
- Toll free: 1-866-747-1471
- Email: clearinghouse@eac.gov
- Website: https://www.eac.gov
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See also
- State of Election Administration Legislation Reports
- Voter ID in Kansas
- Election administration in Kansas
- Ballot access requirements for political candidates in Kansas
Elections in Kansas
- Kansas elections, 2025
- Kansas elections, 2024
- Kansas elections, 2023
- Kansas elections, 2022
- Kansas elections, 2021
- Kansas elections, 2020
- Kansas elections, 2019
- Kansas elections, 2018
- Kansas elections, 2017
- Kansas elections, 2016
- Kansas elections, 2015
- Kansas elections, 2014
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Kansas Office of the Secretary of State, "Kansas Voter Registration Instructions," accessed July 25, 2024
- ↑ Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes, "25-106. Hours of voting; change of hours, how made; rules and regulations," accessed November 4, 2024
- ↑ State of Kansas Secretary of State, “Frequently Asked Questions” accessed July 25, 2024
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Kansas Secretary of State, "Elections - FAQ," accessed July 25, 2024
- ↑ Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes, “K.S.A. 25-1122” accessed July 25, 2024
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Felon Voting Rights," June 6, 2024
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