How to Vote in Kansas’ Elections

The City of Wichita is holding elections for its city council in 2025. The primaries are scheduled to take place on Tuesday, August 5, and the general election on Tuesday, November 4. Below are some key dates for the upcoming primaries. For more information, visit Sedgwick County’s election web page.

• Tuesday, July 15: Last day to register or update your registration 

• Monday, July 21: Advance in-person voting begins at the Sedgwick County election office 
• Thursday, July 31: Advance in-person voting begins at satellite locations 
• Monday, August 4: Advance in-person voting ends at all locations by noon at the latest  
• Tuesday, August 5: Primary Election Day. Polls are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. 

• Wednesday, July 16: Advance ballots are distributed by mail 
• Tuesday, July 29: Deadline to request an advance ballot by mail  
• Tuesday, August 5: Deadline to return a postmarked advance ballot by mail. Your postmarked ballot must also be received by your county election officer no later than Friday, August 8, in order to be counted.  
  

  

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Under a law passed in 2023, county election officers are prohibited from mailing a ballot to a voter unless that voter first submits an application for an advance voting ballot or has permanent advance voting ballot status.

Voter registration closes 21 days before Election Day, and an application must be postmarked on or before the deadline. You can register:

• Online: Visit the state’s election website and fill out the online voter registration application. You’ll need a valid Kansas driver’s license or state ID card. Fill out the form online, print it out and submit as instructed.  

• By mail: Print and complete an application form, or contact your county election office and ask to receive an application by mail. Include your driver’s license number or state ID number, or the last four digits of your Social Security number. Mail completed forms to your county elections office, listed at the bottom of the form. 

• In person: Register to vote or drop off an application at your local election office.
  

Kansas law does not permit voter registration on Election Day.

You can check your voter registration status using the state’s VoterView website.

Kansas’ municipal elections are open and non-partisan, meaning voters do not need to be registered with a particular political party to vote in the primaries. State-level, congressional and presidential primaries are closed partisan elections, meaning voters can only vote in the primary for the party with which they are affiliated. Unaffiliated voters can declare an affiliation on the day of a closed primary election and vote in that party’s primary.

Any registered voter can request an advance ballot if they would prefer to vote by mail. The secretary of state’s website has advance voting instructions online. You can request an advance ballot:

• Online: Complete an advance ballot application and attach it as a .pdf or .jpg in an email to your county election office. Note that this email option is only for requesting an advance ballot. You cannot vote with a completed ballot via email. 

• By mail: Print an advance ballot application and mail your completed application to the secretary of state’s office, along with your driver’s license number or ID card number, or a copy of your photo ID.  

• In person: Visit your county election office.  
  

Voters may call their county election office or go online to myvoteinfo.voteks.org to check the status of their advance by mail ballot application.

Voters can return advance ballots:

• By mail: Completed ballots may be returned by mail, including by the U.S. postal service, FedEx, UPS or other mail carrier. Ballots must be postmarked on or before Election Day.  

• In person: Take your completed ballot to your county election office. Mail ballots can also be returned to any advance in-person voting location during voting hours.  

• Via drop box: Some jurisdictions offer secure ballot drop boxes. Contact your county election office for details.  

Ballots must be delivered or postmarked by 7 p.m. on Election Day. Mailed postmarked ballots must arrive at the election office by close of business on the third business day following the election.

Voters can track the status of their advance mail-in ballots online at myvoteinfo.voteks.org.

Voters may vote in person at their county election office or a satellite voting location ahead of Election Day. All counties must offer in-person advance voting starting no later than one week before Election Day and ending no later than noon the day before Election Day. Counties can, however, offer in-person advance voting for up to 20 days before Election Day if they choose.

Contact your county election office to confirm advance in-person voting dates, hours and locations. The secretary of state’s office will also provide this information the month prior to an election.

Polling places must be open by 7 a.m. and remain open until at least 7 p.m. on Election Day. Counties may open polling locations as early as 6 a.m. and close as late as 8 p.m. Check with your county election office for details. All voters who are in line when polls close will be permitted to vote.

Find your polling place through the state’s VoterView site.

Check the website of your county election office for sample ballots.

Bring an approved photo ID when casting a ballot in person. Acceptable forms of ID include a driver’s license or state ID card, U.S. passport, tribal ID or concealed carry license. A complete list of acceptable IDs can be found on the state elections website. Voters 65 or older may use an expired photo ID.

If you don’t have a valid ID, you’ll receive a provisional ballot, which will be set aside and counted once you submit photographic identification to your county.

Each polling place will have at least one voting machine with features to help voters with disabilities vote independently. Voters with disabilities may request assistance from a friend, family member or companion, or seek assistance from a worker at a polling location.

Permanent advance-voting applications are available for people who have trouble voting in person due to permanent illness or disability. These voters can receive advance ballots by mail for all future elections. All polling places accommodate curbside voting. You may send someone to alert poll workers or follow curbside voting instructions displayed in the parking area to participate.

Individuals living in a nursing home or long-term care facility have the option of voting via an advance ballot by mail and may pursue permanent status to get advance ballots by mail for all future elections. State law allows county election officials to arrange to administer ballots to facility residents.


Editor’s note: This guide was first published on Jan. 31, 2024. It has been updated with new information about upcoming 2025 elections.

Michelle Tuccitto Sullo is a contributing writer covering state and federal policy. She previously served as managing editor of the Hartford Business Journal in Connecticut and has also worked for the New Haven Register, Connecticut Law Tribune and New Haven Biz.

Mythili Sampathkumar is a writer for AARP covering federal and state policy. She has worked for the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY and The Independent, and her reporting has been published in outlets including The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, NBC News, Fortune, Forbes, Vox and Teen Vogue.

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