Kansas

The polls must be open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. (in the Central Time Zone) or 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (in the Mountain Time Zone) on Election Day.  Different hours for the opening and closing of polling places may be set and publicly announced by county election officials pursuant to rules and regulations set by the Secretary of State, so long as the polls are open for at least 12 continuous hours. For Central Time Zone counties, the polls may not open earlier than 6:00 a.m., close earlier than 7:00 p.m., or close later than 8:00 p.m.  For Mountain Time Zone counties, the polls may not open earlier than 5:00 a.m., close earlier than 6:00 p.m., or close later than 7:00 p.m.

• Polling Place Lookup Tool: https://myvoteinfo.voteks.org/VoterView
• On election day, a voter must go to their assigned polling place. Kansas does allow voters to advance vote in person at county election offices and satellite voting locations beginning 20 days before an election. Voters should contact their local election offices to confirm advance voting dates and locations.  

Registration Deadlines

• For registration deadlines, see How to Register below.

How to Check Your Registration: Voters can determine whether they are registered to vote at the following link: Am I Registered?.

You are eligible to vote in Kansas if you:

• Are a U.S. citizen
• Are a resident of Kansas
• at 17 years of age provided you will be 18 by the next general election.

You must have registered at least 20 days before an election to be eligible to vote.

You are NOT eligible to vote in Kansas if:

• You are currently serving a sentence including incarceration, parole, probation, or extended supervision for a felony conviction
• A judge has specifically ruled that you are not able to vote.

Restorative Requirements

• If you have completed a felony sentence, including any term of incarceration, parole, supervision, period of probation, or you have been pardoned, then you are immediately eligible to register to vote

You may preregister to vote in Kansas

• if you will be 18 by Election Day

How to register 

• The deadline to register to vote for the November 5, 2024 General Election is October 15, 2024. Voters must deliver or ensure that an application is postmarked by that date.
• Online Registration Tool (with PDF download): https://www.kdor.ks.gov/apps/voterreg/ 
• Online Registration confirmation: https://myvoteinfo.voteks.org/VoterView   
• A person does not have to have lived in Kansas for a certain length of time to qualify to register as a voter in Kansas, but a person must (1) be registered to vote 21 days prior to an election and (2) be a resident of Kansas at the time of registration
• If a person is 17 years old but will be 18 years old on the date of the election, they may apply to register to vote. 

If You Want to Vote Absentee, requests may be made:

• In-Person
• By Mail

Absentee Ballots may be returned:

• In-Person
• By Mail

Any registered voter is eligible to vote early (i.e., by “advance voting ballot”) in Kansas.  Voters may cast their advance vote in person or by mail.  

To vote by mail, you must complete an application for an advance ballot and include your driver’s license number or a copy of your photo identification. The deadline to submit advance voting applications to your county election official is 5:00 p.m. October 29, 2024, for the 2024 general election. Ballots will be mailed to those who apply beginning October 16, 2024 for the 2024 general election.  All ballots MUST be postmarked on or before election day and received in the county election office by the close of business on Friday, November 8, 2024.  Advance vote by mail ballots may also be dropped off at drop boxes at voting locations.  Each county will have information on where drop boxes are located in that county.

Kansas allows voters to advance vote in person at county election offices or satellite voting locations up to 20 days before an election. The deadline for in-person advance voting is 12:00 p.m. November 4, 2024 for the primary election.  Voters are encouraged to contact their local election office to confirm advance voting dates and locations for their respective county. Hours and location vary by county. The Secretary of State’s office will also provide this information in October prior to each election.

Voter Registration

To register to vote in Kansas you should provide one of the following:

• Your Kansas Driver’s License Number
• Your Kansas ID Number

If you do not have these IDs, you may provide:

• Last Four Digits of your Social Security Number

If you do not have one of these forms of ID and need help getting ID, go to www.voteriders.org.

Voting In-Person

In Kansas, you need to show a valid ID to vote. You can use any ID from this list:

• Valid US Passport
• Valid Government Employee ID
• Public Assistance ID
• Valid Military ID
• Valid Kansas Driver’s License
• License to Carry Concealed Weapon or Firearm
• Valid Kansas Non-driver’s ID
• Valid Tribal ID
• Valid Student ID from State School

An expiration date does not need to be shown on the photo ID. However, if there is an expiration date on the ID, it must not be expired. ID is also required for Advance Voting in Person which is available up to 20 days before an election. If an advance voter does not provide identification, the county election officer may issue a provisional ballot to the voter. The provisional ballot will not be considered valid until the voter submits their photographic identification to before the county canvass. If you do not have one of the Kansas valid IDs and need help getting ID, go to www.voteriders.org.

To vote in person (in advance or on election day) or to vote in advance by mail, a Kansas voter must show a valid form of photo identification. Exceptions include: (1) persons with a permanent physical disability that makes it impossible to travel to a county or state office to obtain a qualifying form of identification and who have qualified for permanent advance voting status; (2) members of active duty uniformed service, merchant marine, or their spouses or dependents, who by reason of such active duty or service, are absent from the country on election day; and (3) any voter who transmits a declaration to the chief county election official or Secretary of State stating that their religious beliefs prohibit photographic identification. 

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.  The Declaration of Religious Objection forms (in English and Spanish) can be found here: https://sos.ks.gov/elections/photo-id.html 

Individuals who do not have an approved government-issued photo ID may apply for a free nondriver ID card with the Kansas Division of Motor Vehicles. To qualify for a nondriver ID card, a person must (1) not possess any valid photo ID documents under Kansas law, (2) sign an affidavit, (3) be registered to vote in Kansas, and (4) have been born in Kansas. 

Individuals who do not have an approved government-issued photo ID but do not qualify for a free nondriver ID card may apply for a state voter ID document. To qualify, a person must (1) not possess any valid photo ID documents under Kansas law, (2) lack any documents necessary to prove identity, (3) sign an affidavit, (4) be registered to vote in Kansas, and (5) have not been born in Kansas.

A person who fails to provide a valid photo ID may cast a provisional ballot.  The voter is then required to provide a valid form of identification to the county election officer in person or provide a copy by mail or electronic means to the county election office in the county where the voter is registered before the meeting of the county board of canvassers, which is generally held on the morning of the Monday following the election.

If a voter has moved to a new address, the voter should update their registration information with the Office of the Secretary of State through mail, online (https://www.kdor.ks.gov/Apps/VoterReg/Default.aspx), or automatically when their driver’s license information is changed.  If a voter did not update their registration information, the answer to this question depends on where the voter moved.

Moved within the same precinct

A voter who moved to a new address within the same precinct should update their registration information as soon as possible.  

A voter who moved within the same precinct within 30 days of the election should vote at the polling place associated with their old address. Voters will be required to complete a new voter registration card at the polling place. 

A voter who moved within the same precinct more than 30 days before the election, to a different address from that shown in the registration book may vote a provisional ballot at the polling place for the voter’s current address or at a central location determined by the county election official, after completing a new registration card. 

Moved to a different precinct but within the same county

A voter who moved to a new precinct within the same county should update their registration information as soon as possible.  

A voter who moved less than 30 days before the election may vote in the precinct of their old residence upon making an affidavit stating the voter’s old and new addresses, the date of the move, and that the voter has not yet voted in the election.   

A voter who moved within the same county, more than 30 days before the election, to a different address from that shown in the registration book may vote a provisional ballot at the voter’s new polling place or at a central location determined by the chief county election official, after completing a new registration card. 

Moved to a different county

A voter who moved to a different county should update their registration information as soon as possible.  

A voter who moved less than 30 days before the election may vote in the precinct of their old residence upon making an affidavit stating the voter’s old and new addresses, the date of the move, and that the voter has not yet voted in the election.   

A voter who moved to a different county more than 30 days before the election without re-registering will not have their vote counted.  Kansas protocol is to issue a provisional ballot to such a voter, in reliance on the general provision governing voters whose names do not appear in the registration book, but provisional ballots cast in this circumstance are not counted.  

Note:  If a voter goes to the wrong polling location, they can fill out a provisional ballot.  If the polls are likely to close at the correct location before a voter can get there, they should vote provisionally at the incorrect polling place. 

Moved to Kansas from another state

A voter who moved to Kansas from another state should register to vote in Kansas as soon as possible.

A voter who moved 45 days before an election and has not registered by the deadline may go to the local election office by noon on the day before election day and complete voter registration forms to be eligible to vote a president-only ballot.

Federal Services Absentee Voting

Uniform and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) allows for overseas voting, or federal services voting, for active duty military and family members and individuals living abroad. To qualify, voters must meet the criteria set out in the Federal Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act. Absentee voters who qualify under this act should apply for a ballot in the county election office in the Kansas County where their residence is located. It is not necessary for qualifying individuals to be registered to vote in the county in which they vote.  The completed absentee ballot must be received by the county election officer before polls close on Election Day. 

The Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) provides a ballot application called the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA). Voters who file the application before a primary election will automatically receive a ballot for the general election that year.  Although there is no statutory deadline for applications to be submitted, they must be submitted with enough time to allow transmittal time to and from the voter.
If a voter is registered to vote in Kansas and requests an absentee ballot but does not receive the Kansas absentee ballot in enough time to meet the mail-in deadlines, a voter may submit the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot as back-up.

Conviction of a state or federal felony results in the loss of voting rights until the person completes the terms of the sentence.  If the person is granted probation or parole, the terms of the sentence are not completed until the probation or parole is finished. Outstanding criminal fines, court costs, and restitution may make someone ineligible to vote, and a person should verify with the applicable court if any amount owed prevents such person from voting. If the person has been officially discharged, and their court debt has been sent to civil collections, they are eligible to vote.  Registration under the Kansas Offender Registration Act is not considered part of a criminal sentence and does not disqualify a person from registering to vote.  

A person with a felony conviction who loses voting rights must re-register to vote after the sentence, including probation or parole, is completed. The person will not be required to submit proof of their final discharge when re-registering to vote. The registration application will contain an affidavit they must sign attesting that their rights have been restored.  

Individuals convicted of a misdemeanor can still vote.