Key Kansas election dates
- Kansas voter registration deadline: Oct. 13, 2026
- No-excuse absentee voting: Oct. 14-Nov. 2, 2026
- Local counties may start early voting: Oct. 14, 2026
- Early voting must start: Oct. 27, 2026
- Kansas absentee ballot request deadline: Oct. 27, 2026
- Absentee ballot return deadline: Close of polls on Nov. 3, 2026
- Election day: Nov. 3, 2026
Kansans who want to vote in the upcoming November general election have until the end of Tuesday to register to vote and several other approaching deadlines before they cast their ballots.
This election will decide the Kansas governor, one of its U.S. senators, U.S. representatives, a constitutional amendment on voting and several other offices.
“We are blessed to live in a country where we have the opportunity to choose our leaders and those that represent us,” Laura Rainwater, Sedgwick County Election Commissioner told the Kansas News Service. “There's so many countries in this world that citizens do not have a voice. I have always believed that you should vote in every election you're eligible to vote in.”
Rainwater said the secretary of state’s election website voteks.gov, is a good central source for information voters need to know.
The first deadline is to register to vote or update voter registration, which is the end of the day Oct. 13. If someone has moved, changed their name or never registered to vote in Kansas, they need to submit their information by the deadline.
You must be 18 years old, a citizen of the United States and a Kansas resident to vote in the Kansas election. To register to vote, or update your registration, you need information from their driver's license or a non-driver ID.
Rainwater said it's important to verify your information before the election. For example, sometimes people move and forget to update their address.
You can check this information by visiting voteks.gov and clicking on the Voter View tab. Then, you can enter your name and birth date to see your voting history and the address on file.
You can also view your sample ballot for the November election at the site.
The deadline to request a no-excuse absentee, or mail-in ballot, is Oct. 27. Rainwater said the first wave of requested ballots will be sent out the day after the voter registration deadline.
A recent ruling by a Kansas appellate court established that mail-in ballots arriving three days after the November general election will still count. However, Rainwater still advises dropping off ballots, rather than mailing them, as the deadline approaches.
“If you're going to mail your ballot, I strongly suggest you do so outside of a week before the election,” Rainwater said. “If we're within a week of the election, I would not use the postal service to get your ballot to us.”
Mail-in ballots can be turned in at county drop box locations, at an early voting site or an Election Day polling site.
The first day of in-person advance voting can start as early as October 19, depending on your county. Site locations will be available soon at the secretary of state’s website.
Polling locations in Kansas will be open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on election day, although local governments can choose to open earlier.
People must vote on Election Day at their assigned polling location. They must bring a photo-ID to vote. If they don’t have the proper identification, they can cast a provisional ballot.
Roger Nomer reports from the Wichita area for the Kansas News Service. You can email him at nomer@kmuw.org.
The Kansas News Service is a collaboration of KMUW, KCUR, Kansas Public Radio, KRPS and High Plains Public Radio.
Kansas News Service stories and photos may be republished by news media at no cost with proper attribution and a link to ksnewsservice.org.
