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The primary election in Kansas is on Aug. 2, giving voters the opportunity to decide who will appear on the November ballot for several high-profile races including governor, state attorney general and the U.S. Congress.
Also on the ballot is a constitutional amendment, which would alter the state constitution to say that there is no right to an abortion.
If you want to vote in this year’s primary election, you have until July 12 to register. Here’s how to do it.
- Who can vote?
- How do I register to vote?
- What if my current name doesn’t match the name on my photo ID?
- How can I check my registration?
- When should I update my registration?
- What’s the deadline to register to vote?
- Am I required to register with a political party?
- What if English is my second language?
- What if I have a disability that requires assistance or accommodation?
Who can vote?
To vote in Kansas, you must be a United States citizen and Kansas resident who is 18 years old before the next election. You also need to register with your local elections office.
Under Kansas law, if you have a state or federal felony conviction, you must have completed your entire sentence, including any probation or parole, before you can re-register to vote.
How do I register to vote?
To register, voters will need to fill out the voter registration application either online or on paper using this form, which is also available at your county election office.
If you register using a paper form, you need to mail the form to your county election office or drop it off there. Addresses for each county’s office are listed on the bottom of the form.
For Sedgwick County, mail or deliver the form to:
Sedgwick County Election Office
510 N. Main
Wichita, KS 67203-3798
For Johnson County:
Johnson County Election Office
2101 E. Kansas City Road
Olathe, KS 66061
For Wyandotte County:
Wyandotte County Election Office
850 State Ave.
Kansas City, KS 66101
You can also register online with KSVotes.org. The site is not officially sanctioned by state election officials — it was built by Loud Light, an advocacy organization that encourages voter turnout among young people — but rather works as a kind of digital voter registration drive. The site forwards a voter’s registration information to their county’s election office, instead of a voter filing it directly. But some users may find the site easier to use than the secretary of state’s online voter registration system, and it currently provides the only fully online registration option for Spanish speakers.
There are a few common mistakes that new voters would be wise to avoid, according to Sedgwick County spokesperson Nicole Gibbs. Those include: not answering the two eligibility questions at the top of the form, not including identification numbers such as a Kansas driver’s license number or the last four digits of a Social Security number, forgetting to sign the application and forgetting to check the box to select a party affiliation.
What if my current name doesn’t match the name on my photo ID?
If you have changed your legal name since you last updated your voter registration, you should submit a new voter registration form before July 12 if you plan to vote in the primary election. If you plan to vote in-person, the name you use to register will be compared to the name you provide and the photo identification you will show when you vote.
How can I check my registration?
If you have already registered, you can check your voter registration online. You can review the registration information on file with the state, including your party affiliation, address, polling location, sample ballot and the political offices you can vote on.
If information listed does not match what is on file, you have until July 12 to update your registration.
When should I update my registration?
If you have moved, changed your name or wish to change your party affiliation, you should submit an updated voter registration form.
If you are already registered to vote, and you confirmed that your information is current, you do not need to re-register.
What’s the deadline to register to vote?
To vote in the Aug. 2 primary election, voters must register by July 12.
To vote in the Nov. 8 general election, voters must register by Oct. 18.
It’s too late for voters to change their party affiliation if they are currently registered with a political party — that deadline was June 1 — but unaffiliated voters can select an affiliation when they vote at the polls. Voters who wish to change their party affiliation can submit a new voter registration form after Sept 1.
Am I required to register with a political party?
No. You only need to select a party affiliation if you plan to vote for primary candidates for one of the two major political parties. If you don’t register with either major political party, you can still vote on a nonpartisan primary ballot.
The registration application each voter must fill out has the option to select from four options for party affiliation: Democratic, Republican, Libertarian or no party affiliation.
For this year’s August primary election, voters who are unaffiliated with a political party or who registered with the Libertarian party can vote on a ballot that will include only the abortion amendment.
What if English is my second language?
The Kansas voter registration form is available in Spanish here.
You can mail the printed form at your local county elections office or drop it off there. Addresses for each county’s office are listed on the bottom of the form.
The secretary of state’s office also provides a voter registration guide in Spanish.
The state’s online voter registration system is only available in English at this time. For Spanish speakers who wish to register online, the nonprofit KSVotes.org provides a voter registration form in Spanish.
What if I have a disability that requires assistance or accommodation?
You may register to vote entirely by mail or online if you are unable to make it to your local election office. You may also fill out the registration forms using assistance. You can also contact your local election office to apply to automatically receive advance mail ballots.
If you have additional questions about specific accommodations in registering to vote, you can contact your local county elections office.
Sedgwick County election office:
Online: https://www.sedgwickcounty.org/elections/
Email: voterinformation@sedgwick.gov
Phone: 316-660-7100
Johnson County election office:
Online: https://jocoelection.org/
Email: election@jocoelection.org
Phone: 913-715-6800
Wyandotte County election office:
Online: https://www.wycovotes.org/
Email: election@wycokck.org
Phone: 913-573-8500
