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.

https://myvoteinfo.voteks.org/VoterView

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 

• Kansas Municipal General Elections
  • Submit a Printed Application: Postmarked by Tue Oct 17, 2023
  • At DMV and other State Agencies by Tue Oct 17, 2023
  • Post received by Sun Oct 29, 2023 (when postmark is missing)
  • Discharged from federal service -In-person Request by Mon Nov 6, 2023 12:00PM CST

https://myvoteinfo.voteks.org/VoterView

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

• In-Person
• By Mail

Absentee Ballots may be returned:

• In-Person
• By Mail

Kansas Municipal General Elections

Ballot Request:

• Tue Oct 31, 2023

Ballot Return:

• Post Received by Tue Nov 7, 2023
• In-Person, Received by Tue Nov 7, 2023

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. November 1, 2022, for the 2022 general election. Ballots will be mailed to those who apply beginning 20 days before the November 8, 2022 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 the Friday following the election.  Advance vote by mail ballots may also be dropped off at drop boxes at voting locations.  Each county will have the 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 7, 2022 for the general 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.

Individuals who vote in person at the county election office or at a satellite location must show photographic identification. If an advance voter does not provide identification, or if the information is not valid, 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.

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, 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.

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 his or her 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.

Federal Services Absentee Voting

While any duly registered Kansas voter can cast an advance voting ballot, certain individuals in federal service and their families have additional rights.  Absentee voting is available for eligible persons in federal services, including active duty members of the armed forces of the United States, members of the United States Merchant Marine, and for United States citizens living outside the territorial limits of the United States and the District of Columbia and their spouses and dependents residing with or accompanying them.   Eligible individuals may apply for absentee ballots via mail, fax, email, or any other method authorized by the Secretary of State.  The completed absentee ballot must be received by the county election officer before polls close on Election Day.

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.   This includes paying off any outstanding fines, fees, and restitution. 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.