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Voting & Elections Toolkits 2022

Voter Registration in Kansas

Eligibility

  • Age: At least 17 and turning 18 before the next Election Day
  • Formerly incarcerated individuals: May vote if they have received final discharge from imprisonment, parole, or conditional release if convicted of a felony.
  • Citizenship: Must be a U.S. citizen.  [NOTE] Documentary proof of citizenship is NOT required when registering to vote, per the Federal District Court ruling on June 18, 2018, by Judge Julie Robinson declaring the Kansas Documentary Proof of Citizenship law violated the National Voter Registration Act and the U.S. Constitution.
  • Residence: Must be a bona-fide resident of the state of Kansas.
  • College students may register to vote at either their school or permanent address, but not both
  • Check to see if you are already registered

More information on Kansas voter eligibility

Deadline

  • Voter registration closes 21 days before any election. In order to be eligible to vote in that election, your application must be postmarked on or before that date.
  • October 13, 2020, is the deadline for in-person registration and postmark of mail-in registration for the general election. The registration deadline for the primary election is April 24, 2020.
  • Registration and Voting Guidelines
  • Election Calendar:  May 2, 2020 - Democratic Presidential Primary; August 4, 2020 - Primary; November 3, 2020 - General election

Online registration

To register to vote online, you must have a valid Kansas driver's license or non-driver's identification card. If you do not have either of these documents, you may register to vote using the paper form. You must re-register each time you change your name, address, or party affiliation for voting.

Online registration form in English

Online registration form in Spanish

Additional election-related forms

Mail-in registration

Printable forms (in English and Spanish)

Information about ID requirements

Kansas has a strict photo ID policy. See "ID Requirements for Kansas Voters" box below for more information.

Choosing a political party   

Voter registration applicants may choose to affiliate with one of the recognized political parties at the time of initial registration or any time after. Registered voters who are unaffiliated may affiliate with a party at the polling place on election day, or in the process of obtaining an advance ballot before the primary, and vote that party’s primary ballot.  

A law passed in 2014 prohibits voters from changing party affiliations during the weeks before and after the August primary election. Beginning with the candidate filing deadline on June 1, no voter may file a document to change party affiliations or to disaffiliate from a party until the results of the primary have been certified by the state board of canvassers.                 

Updating registration      

Kansans may change their registration information online with a valid Kansas driver's license or nondriver identification card.

Cancelling registration

Send your county election office a signed and dated card or letter stating that you wish to be removed from the voter rolls in that county. Include your name and the address where you were registered.

 

ID Requirements for Kansas Voters

ID Requirements for Registration

Online Registration

To register to vote online, you must have a valid Kansas driver's license or non-driver's identification card. If you do not have either of these documents, you may register to vote using the paper form You must re-register each time you change your name, address, or party affiliation for voting.

These are the steps you must complete in the online voter registration process:

  • 1) Verify your voting eligibility.
  • 2) Verify that you have a valid driver's license or non-driver's identification card.
  • 3) Enter your personal information.
  • 4) Review and submit your information.

Allow time for processing. Your county election officer will notify you that your voter registration was completed successfully or that further action is needed.

Mail-in Registration

Kansas Voter Registration Application form

  • Enter your current Kansas driver’s license number or nondriver’s identification card number.
  • If you do not have either one, enter the last four digits of your Social Security number.
  • If you do not have any of these numbers, write “none” in the box. The number will be used for administrative purposes only and will not be disclosed to the public. K.S.A. 25-2309 (Rev. 1/15/19 tc)

Return your completed application to your county. Addresses are on the back of the application form. Your county election officer will mail you a notice when your application has been processed.

Deadlines for Kansas voters to register: July 14, 2020, for Primary Election; October 13, 2020 for the General Election. .

ID Requirements for Voting

First-Time Voters

First-time voters who meet certain requirements must present either a current and valid photo ID with their name and address OR “a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck or government document that shows your name and address.”

If you cannot meet either of the above requirements, you may sign an affidavit and cast a provisional ballot subject to verification of your eligibility to vote.

All Other Voters

Voters who are not voting for the first time can::

  • Present a government-issued photo ID document.
  • If requesting a ballot by mail must either write his or her driver's license number on the application or send a copy of a photo ID to get a ballot.
  • A voter age 65 and older may use an expired document.
  • Certain individuals are exempt from the ID requirements.

More information about the Kansas Voter ID Law, as well as a list of documents that may be used as photographic identification for purposes of voting in Kansas.

Where to get an ID

Obtaining a Driver’s License or ID

Renewing or Transferring Your License

Free Photographic Identification

  • A registered voter who does not possess any of the approved government-issued photographic identification documents and who wishes to vote may apply for a free non-driver identification card through the Division of Vehicles, Kansas Department of Revenue.
  • In order to obtain a non-driver identification card, a person must present acceptable proof of identity and proof of residence to the Division of Vehicles, Kansas Department of Revenue. Qualifying individuals who lack proof of identity and desire to obtain a free nondriver identification card may obtain a Kansas birth certificate from the Kansas Office of Vital Statistics at no cost to the individual.
  • Individuals who do not have proof of identity and do not wish to pay for such a document may apply for a State Voter Identification Document at no cost. (NOTE: This identification document is valid only for the purpose of voting in Kansas and may not be used for any other purpose.)

Casting a Ballot in Kansas

Important Dates

  • Primary Election: August 4, 2020
  • General Election: November 3, 2020
  • Advance voting: begins 20 days before election OR Tuesday before election (varies by county). Ends at noon of the day before the election.

Absentee and advance voting

Opening/closing dates

  • To vote absentee, an application must be received by the Tuesday prior to the election.
  • A returned absentee ballot must be postmarked on or before Election Day

Military voters and voters who reside outside the U.S.

  • The Federal Voting Assistance Program website provides information, forms, and contacts for service members, their families, and overseas citizens.
  • Overseas voting, or federal services voting, is available for military personnel and their dependents as well as civilians and their dependents living abroad. A voter must meet the criteria established by the federal Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act. Voters voting under the UOCAVA are exempt from Kansas’ photo ID requirements under the SAFE Act.

Who is eligible to use an absentee or advance ballot?

  • All voters are eligible to vote absentee in Kansas. There are no special eligibility requirements for voting absentee.
  • Any registered voter can vote in advance of the election. You have two options:
    1. Request an absentee ballot, and vote in advance by mail. Absentee ballots may be requested from your local election authority. After your request is submitted, you will receive an absentee ballot by mail. Submit your completed ballot to your local election office by Election Day.
    2. Many counties in Kansas offer advance, in-person voting. Counties may offer in-person voting up to 20 days prior to the primary election. Check with your local election office to find out whether advance, in-person voting is offered in your community.

Polling places and hours

  • Locate your polling place
  • For a general election or primary, polling places in Kansas are required to open at 7:00 a.m. and close at 7:00 p.m. on Election Day, but the county may open the polls earlier and close them later. All voters who are in line when the polls close are allowed to vote.
  • Time off to vote: Kansas employers must provide enough paid time off to vote to give the employee a total of two hours off while polls are open, when combined with the employee’s regular non-work hours. Employers may decide when the employee takes this time, but cannot require an employee to use a regular meal break for this purpose.

Rides to the polls

Many organizations offer free rides to polling places on election day. Some of these include:

  • Both Uber and Lyft provide free or discounted rides to the polls in some underserved Kansas communities
  • The Kansas City Area Transportation Authority has offered riders free rides to the polls on any Ride KC route serving Johnson County or Wyandotte County.
  • The NAACP has also offered free transportation to the polls between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.
  • Political parties sometimes arrange rides for voters. Check with your local offices.

Help for voters with disabilities

  • The Disability Rights Center of Kansas offers provides information on the voting laws in Kansas.
  • If you have a permanent disability, you may be eligible for permanent advanced voter status. Download the Permanent Advanced Voter Application
  • Some counties in Kansas are using Ballot Marking Devices to assist disabled voters in marking a paper ballot, which is then scanned or counted manually.
  • Curbside voting is made available to voters with disabilities and elderly voters who choose to vote outside the polling place have a right to do so.

Ballots

Where to get more info on candidates (will update as available)

Referenda (will update as available)

Sample ballots (will update as available)

  • 2020 Primary Election: 
  • 2020 General Election: 

Elections

Primaries vs. general elections

  • Primary elections are conducted to select each party’s candidates in the general election.
  • Kansas has a semi-closed primary process in which previously unaffiliated voters can declare his or her affiliation with a political party on the day of the election and vote in that party's primary. A voter who is already affiliated with a party can only vote in that party's primary; they cannot change their party affiliation on the day of the election.
  • In a general election, voters are not required to have a party affiliation.

Jurisdiction

Offices/Measures That May Appear on the Ballot
   

Who are the candidates, and what else is on the ballot?

  • Town-by-town sample ballots: (will update as available)
  • Certificates of endorsement by political parties:  (will update as available)

Important Dates

Election Day is November 3, 2020

Dates of municipal elections: (will update as available)

Who conducts elections?

  • The Kansas Secretary of State's office, Elections Division, is responsible for the administration of all natiional and state elections and works with each of the 105 county election officers to execute those elections. 

Voter Rights

Where to go with complaints about candidates or how elections are conducted

Campaign finance

  • Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission is the state agency charged with administering, interpreting and enforcing the Campaign Finance Act (CFA) for elected state offices as well as the following local offices - county, first county, first class city, Wichita school board, and the Kansas City Board of Public Utilities. 
  • Campaign Finance Filing Center: Filing a report, amending a filing, or updating an Appointment of Treasurer or Statement of Organization. 
  • Campaign Finance - Viewer: The options for 'Candidate Campaign Filings' and 'PAC/Party Political Committee' will allow a search for all complete reports whether filed on paper or filed electronically.
     

How to contact your elected officials:

 

General Resources on Voting and Elections

General Resources on Voting and Elections

Election Protection Hotlines

1-866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683)

1-888-VE-Y-VOTA (888-839-8682) (en Español)

1-888-API-VOTE (888-274-8683) (Asian multilingual assistance)

1-844-YALLA-US (844-925-5287) (Arabic)

Voter Registration & Election Day Resources

Find useful voter information including:

  • Local Election Office and Contact Information
  • Address, Telephone and Email for Local Election Offices
  • Upcoming Federal Election Dates and Deadlines
  • Upcoming State Election Dates and Deadlines
  • Eligibility Requirements
  • Identification Requirements
  • Voter Materials Transmission Options
  • State Lookup Tools – Am I Registered? Where’s my Ballot?

Population-Specific information and Resources

Voting Rights: Laws, Cases, Policy

Voter Engagement

Voter Education

Campaign Finance/Funding Information

Primary Sources, Lesson Plans & Exhibits

Disclaimer

Librarians from the Government Documents Round Table (GODORT), a Round Table of the American Library Association (ALA), created these reference guides. These guides are intended for informational purposes only and are not in any way intended to be legal advice.

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These guides are designated with a Creative Commons license and re-use and modification for educational purposes is encouraged.

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.