How Many Registered Voters In Kansas

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Select a state from the menu below to learn more.

Voting policies 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 American citizens cast their ballots in their individual states.

See state election laws

This page includes the following:

Voter registration details, including methods of registering and requirements
Details on voting in elections, including identification requirements, poll times, and primary election type
Absentee/mail-in voting rules^[1]
Early voting rules
Convicted felons' voting rights
Election administration costs report
Election agencies list
Election policy ballot measures list
Election policy legislation list

See Election administration in Kansas for more detailed information about election and voting policy in the state, including voter list maintenance policies, provisional ballot rules, and post-election auditing practices.

Voter registration

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.^[2]

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

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

Kansas does not allow same-day voter registration.

Residency requirements

To register to vote in Kansas, you must be a resident of the state. State law does not specify a length of time for which you must have been a resident to be eligible.

Verification of citizenship

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

A provision of Kansas' SAFE Act went into effect on January 1, 2013, requiring individuals to provide proof of citizenship with their voter registration applications. On June 18, 2018, Judge Julie Robinson, of the United States District Court for the District of Kansas, struck down the proof of citizenship provision 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.^[3] ^[4] ^[5] ^[6]

Verifying your registration

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

Voting in elections

President Barack Obama and others casting their ballots in 2012

Voter identification

See also: Voter identification laws by state

Kansas requires voters to present photo identification while voting.^[7]

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.^[7]

The following voters are exempt from providing photo ID:^[7]

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.^[7]

Background

The Kansas Secure and Fair Elections Act was signed into law on April 18, 2011, by Governor Sam Brownback (R). Beginning January 1, 2012, Kansas voters were required to present photo ID when voting in person. Beginning January 1, 2013, persons registering to vote for the first time were required to prove U.S. citizenship. Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach (R) was sued over the law by Arthur Spry and Charles Hamner, two elderly Kansas residents whose ballots were not counted in the November 2012 general election because they could not provide photo identification. The lawsuit stated that neither had a driver's license or access to the birth records needed to secure a photo ID. The federal trial was set for May 11, 2015. On April 23, 2014, the federal lawsuit was dismissed. Both Spry and Hamner asked to have the case dismissed when the trial was scheduled after the 2014 elections.^[8] ^[9]

As of April 2021, 35 states enforced (or were scheduled to begin enforcing) voter identification requirements. A total of 21 states required voters to present photo identification at the polls; the remainder accepted other forms of identification. Valid forms of identification differ by state. Commonly accepted forms of ID include driver's licenses, state-issued identification cards, and military identification cards.^[10] ^[11]

Poll times

See also: State poll opening and closing times

In Kansas, most polls are open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Central Time, as Kansas mandates in its state laws that the polls must be open a minimum of 12 hours. Counties may open the polls earlier and close them later. If the polls close while a voter is in line, he or she will still be permitted to vote.^[12]

Primary election type

See also: Primary elections in Kansas

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. Kansas utilizes a semi-closed primary process, in which previously unaffiliated voters can participate in the partisan primary of their choice (a voter who is already affiliated with a party can only vote in that party's primary).^[13] ^[14] ^[15] ^[16]

Absentee voting

See also: 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."^[17]

Early voting

See also: Early voting

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

Convicted felons' voting rights

See also: Voting rights for convicted felons

In Kansas, those 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 individuals convicted of a felony, click here.

Voting rights for convicted felons vary from state to state. In the majority of states, convicted felons cannot vote while they are incarcerated but may regain the right to vote upon release from prison or at some point thereafter.^[18] ^[19]

Election administration costs

National Conference of State Legislatures report, 2018

On February 14, 2018, the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) released a report on the costs of election administration in the states: "The Price of Democracy: Splitting the Bill for Elections." The report's authors noted that "no one knows how much [states] spend on elections ... [because] good research on election costs is slim." Generally, local units of government (most often counties, but sometimes cities and towns) are primarily responsible for election administration costs, though states and the federal government may also contribute. The report identified the states listed in the table below as assuming financial responsibility for at least some aspects of election administration.^[20]

To access the complete NCSL report, click here.

Election administration costs assumed by state
State pays all expenses for federal or state elections	State bears a portion of election costs	State pays for statewide special elections or statewide elections that don't coincide with regularly scheduled elections	State pays for primary elections (statewide, presidential, or both)
Alaska Delaware	Alabama Colorado Hawaii Kentucky Louisiana Rhode Island	Arkansas Florida Iowa Michigan Missouri New Jersey North Dakota Ohio Oregon Pennsylvania Tennessee Washington West Virginia	Arizona Arkansas Idaho Kansas Michigan Minnesota Missouri South Carolina Tennessee Texas Virginia Washington
Note: If a state is not listed above, it was not included in the report. Source: National Conference of State Legislatures, "The Price of Democracy: Splitting the Bill for Elections," February 14, 2018

Election agencies

Seal of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission

See also: State election agencies

Individuals seeking additional information about voting provisions in Kansas can contact the following state and federal agencies.

Secretary of State Office:

Memorial Hall, 1st Floor

120 SW 10th Avenue

Topeka, KS 66612-1594

Telephone: 785-296-4561

Fax: 785-291-3051

Email: election@sos.ks.gov

http://www.kssos.org/

U.S. Election Assistance Commission

1335 East West Highway, Suite 4300

Silver Spring, Maryland 20910

Telephone: 866-747-1471

Noteworthy events

2021

Federal judge enjoins enforcement of law prohibiting out-of-state groups from sending absentee/mail-in ballot application forms to Kansas voters

On November 19, 2021, Judge Kathryn Vratil, of the U.S. District Court for the District Court of Kansas, enjoined a state law prohibiting out-of-state groups from sending absentee/mail-in ballot application forms to Kansas voters. In her order, Vratil wrote, "Precedent dictates that the Court must treat alleged First Amendment harms 'gingerly.' Plaintiffs have sufficiently pled that unless enjoined, [the law in question] will limit Kansas voters in navigating the path to ballot access and interfere with plaintiffs' First Amendment rights. Such losses are ones that money damages cannot redress, so this factor weighs strongly in favor of an injunction." Vratil's order barred election officials from enforcing the disputed law pending full resolution of the case.^[21]

Lawmakers enact two bills making several changes to state election law

On May 3, 2021, the Kansas House of Representatives and the Kansas State Senate voted 85-38 and 28-12, respectively, to override Governor Laura Kelly's (D) vetoes of HB2813 and HB2332. As enacted, the bills made the following changes to the state's election laws:^[22] ^[23]

HB2813
- Prohibited backdating or otherwise altering a postmark on an advance voting ballot "if the intent is to make the mailing date appear different from the actual date of mailing by the voter or voter's designee."
- Prohibited local election officials "from accepting an advance voting ballot transmitted by mail unless they first verify the signature on an advance voting ballot envelope matches the signature on file in the county voter registration records."
- Rescinded the authority of the secretary of state to extend the deadline for receiving advance voting ballots.
- Prohibited "any person from delivering an advance voting ballot on behalf of another person, unless the person submits an accompanying written statement at the time of delivery, signed by both the voter and the person delivering the ballot." Prohibited a candidate for office from delivering an advance voting ballot on behalf of another voter unless that voter is a member of the candidate's immediate family. Prohibited any individual from delivering more than 10 advance voting ballots on behalf of other voters.
HB2332
- Required "any individual who solicits by mail a registered voter to file an application for an advance voting ballot, and in such mailing includes an application for an advance voting ballot, to include in such mailing:" the name and address of the individual or entity making the solicitation; the name of the president or chief executive officer of the entity, if applicable; and a statement in the following form: "Disclosure: This is not a government mailing. It is from a private individual or organization."
- Prohibited "any person not a resident of Kansas or domiciled in Kansas from mailing or causing to be mailed an application for an advance voting ballot."
- Prohibited "the Governor, the Executive Branch, and the Judicial Branch from altering election laws."

Upon vetoing the two bills on April 23, 2021, Kelly said each was "designed to disenfranchise Kansans, making it difficult for them to participate in the democratic process, not to stop voter fraud." Rep. Blake Carpenter (R), who voted in favor of both bills, rejected this characterization: "The governor said that this is a problem in search of a solution, or that we don't really need this legislation. However, I think that this legislation directly impacts what future elections could look like because of the issues we saw in those other elections and other states."^[24] ^[25]

HB2813 originally cleared both the Kansas House of Representatives and the Kansas State Senates by votes of 80-42 and 27-11, respectively. The House and Senate originally voted 83-38 and 27-11, respectively, to adopt HB2332.^[22] ^[23]

Multiple groups filed separate lawsuits (listed below) challenging various provisions of these bills:

League of Women Voters of Kansas v. Schwab (filed June 1, 2021, in the Shawnee County District Court)
VoteAmerica v. Schwab (filed June 2, 2021, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas)

2018

On June 18, 2018, federal Judge Julie Robinson, of the United States District Court for the District of Kansas, struck down a provision of the SAFE Act establishing that Kansans must present proof of citizenship in order to register to vote (documentary proof of citizenship, or DPOC, law). Robinson ordered Secretary of State Kris Kobach (R) to ensure that "all elections-related public education materials ... make clear that voter registration applicants need not provide DPOC in order to become registered to vote, and need not provide any additional information in order to complete their voter registration applications." Kobach's office initially advised county clerks to continue enforcing the DPOC law pending further written guidance, but advised county clerks on June 20, 2018, to comply with Robinson's order.^[26] ^[27]

Robinson's ruling came as the result of two separate lawsuits, which were consolidated for trial: Fish v. Kobach and Bednasek v. Kobach. Robinson wrote the following in her ruling:

"	[The] magnitude of the burden on unregistered eligible Kansas voters cannot be justified by the State interests relied on by the Defendant [i.e., Kris Kobach (R), in his capacity as secretary of state]. The evidence at trial demonstrated that those interests, while legitimate, are not furthered by the DPOC law. Instead, the DPOC law disproportionately impacts duly qualified registration applications, while only nominally preventing noncitizen voter registration. It also may have the inadvertent effect of eroding, instead of maintaining, confidence in the electoral system given the confusing, evolving, and inconsistent enforcement of the DPOC laws since 2013.^[28]	"
—Judge Julie Robinson

Robinson also ordered Kobach to take six additional hours of continuing legal education courses pertaining to federal or state civil rules of procedure or evidence.^[29]

Danedri Herbert, a spokeswoman for Kobach, criticized the decision: "Robinson is the first judge in the country to come to the extreme conclusion that requiring a voter to prove his citizenship is unconstitutional. Her conclusion is incorrect, and it is inconsistent with precedents of the U.S. Supreme Court."^[30]

Election policy ballot measures

See also: Elections and campaigns on the ballot and List of Kansas ballot measures

Ballotpedia has tracked the following ballot measures relating to election and campaign policy in Kansas.

Kansas Voting Disqualification Amendment, Constitutional Amendment Question 2 (2010)
Kansas Elections, Amendment 2 (1974)

Election policy legislation

The following is a list of recent election bills that have been introduced in or passed by the Kansas state legislature. To learn more about each of these bills, click the bill title. This information is provided by BillTrack50 and LegiScan.

Note: Due to the nature of the sorting process used to generate this list, some results may not be relevant to the topic. If no bills are displayed below, no legislation pertaining to this topic has been introduced in the legislature recently.

Recent news

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Kansas voting. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

External links

State of Kansas Office of the Secretary of State, Elections

Footnotes

↑ We use the term "absentee/mail-in voting" to describe systems in which requests or applications are required. We use the term "all-mail voting" to denote systems where the ballots themselves are sent automatically to all voters. We use the hyphenate term for absentee voting because some states use "mail voting" (or a similar alternative) to describe what has traditionally been called "absentee voting."
↑ Kansas Office of the Secretary of State, "Kansas Voter Registration Instructions," accessed October 7, 2019
↑ 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," accessed October 6, 2019
↑ United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, "Fish v. Schwab: Opinion and Order," April 29, 2020
↑ ^7.0 ^7.1 ^7.2 ^7.3 Kansas Secretary of State, "Valid Forms of Photographic Identification," accessed October 7, 2019
↑ Topeka Capital Journal, "Trial set for 2015 in suit over voter ID law," April 9, 2014
↑ The Wichita Eagle, "2 men end federal lawsuit over Kansas voter ID law," accessed April 24, 2014
↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Voter Identification Requirements|Voter ID Laws," June 5, 2017
↑ The Washington Post, "Do I need an ID to vote? A look at the laws in all 50 states," October 27, 2014
↑ Vote Kansas, "When and where do I vote?" accessed October 17, 2019
↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "State Primary Election Types," accessed October 25, 2019
↑ FairVote, "Primaries," accessed October 25, 2019
↑ Ballotpedia research conducted December 26, 2013, through January 3, 2014, researching and analyzing various state websites and codes.
↑ Scott Schwab Kansas Secretary of State, "Voting Rules for Primary Elections," accessed October 25, 2019
↑ Kansas Secretary of State, "Registration and Voting," accessed October 19, 2019
↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Felon Voting Rights," accessed July 15, 2014
↑ American Civil Liberties Union, "State Criminal Re-enfranchisement Laws," accessed September 13, 2019
↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "The Price of Democracy: Splitting the Bill for Elections," February 14, 2018
↑ United States District Court for the District of Kansas, "VoteAmerica v. Schwab: Memorandum and Order," November 19, 2021
↑ ^22.0 ^22.1 Kansas Legislature, "HB 2183," accessed May 9, 2021
↑ ^23.0 ^23.1 Kansas Legislature, "HB 2332," accessed May 9, 2021
↑ Office of the Governor of Kansas, "Governor Laura Kelly Vetoes Divisive Voter Suppression Bills, Keeps Kansas Welcoming and Open for Business," April 23, 2021
↑ Associated Press, "Kansas governor vetoes measures to tighten election laws," April 23, 2021
↑ 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
↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
↑ 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, "Judge sides with ACLU in voter registration fight, orders Kobach to go to school," June 18, 2018

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