With the general election less than a month away, and the deadline to register to vote less than a week away, there are some things those who plan on voting need to know.
Registering to vote
Kansans have until Tuesday, Oct. 15, to register to vote. Voter registration closes 21 days before Election Day.
Kansans can register online with the Secretary of State and Department of Revenue, mail in their registration in English or Spanish to their local county election office — as long as it’s postmarked by Oct. 15 — or register in person at their local county election office.
If already signed up, Kansas can check on their voter registration status at the Secretary of State’s website.
If a voter is currently 17 but will be 18 before the day of the general election, Nov. 5, they are able to register.
Anyone living in Kansas can register to vote in Kansas elections – regardless of how long they’ve lived in the state. Kansans with federal or state felony convictions are not allowed to vote and should not register.
Mail-in, absentee and advance voting
Mail-in ballots applications should be postmarked and sent to county election officials by Nov. 5, Election Day. Voters must sign the outside of the envelope, so that voting officials can verify their signature. The deadline to submit an advance voting by mail application is Oct. 29. Mail-in ballots can be tracked on the Secretary of State’s website.
Any Kansas voters living out of state should request a mail-in ballot. Ballots will be sent to voters on Oct. 16. They should mail the filled out ballot back to their county election officials.
In-person advance voting begins on Oct. 16 in select counties. All counties must offer advance in-person voting no later than Oct. 29, one week before Election Day.
Voters should contact their county election officials for details on where and when their county offers advance in person voting, and the Secretary of State’s office will release a list of all counties offering advance in person voting closer to Oct. 16.
Photo identification is required for all in-person voting. Advance voting will close at noon on Nov. 4.
Election Day voting
Voters must vote at the polling location associated with their address on their registration. Voters can check their polling locations through the Secretary of State website.
Upon arrival, voters are expected to show photo identification. They can bring a driver’s license – which can be issued by another state as long as voters are registered in Kansas — a U.S. passport, military ID, Native American tribal ID card, a government employee badge, a student identification card from a postsecondary institution in Kansas, a concealed carry license – again, issued by any state as long as voters are registered in Kansas — or a public assistance identification card.
Who’s on your ballot
Voters can check what their ballot will look like through the Secretary of State website.
Many candidates and their policies have been covered by the Kansas Reflector, and can be found on the election 2024 tab. An updated candidate list, including their contact information, can be found on the Secretary of State website.
Voters’ rights
Voting locations are to be open as early as 6 a.m., and they may close as late as 8 p.m. All polling locations must be open for at least 12 consecutive hours. If a voter is in line before the polling location closes and there is a line, all voters in line when a polling location closes are entitled to vote.
Each polling place must be accessible for all voters with disabilities. Finney, Ford, Grant, Haskell and Seward Counties must all provide alternative language assistance.
The ACLU of Kansas will provide a statewide, nonpartisan election protection hotline. If a voter believes their voting rights have been violated, they can call the ACLU’s hotline at 866-OUR-VOTE.
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Story via Kansas Reflector
