What Kansas voters need to know before polls close in the August 4, 2026, primary
Kansas voters are deciding candidate nominations and a proposed constitutional amendment Tuesday, August 4, 2026. Before heading to the polls, voters should confirm their registration, party affiliation, polling location and county-specific hours, bring an accepted photo ID and understand which primary ballot they may receive.
The election includes statewide, congressional and legislative contests, along with a proposal that would change how Kansas Supreme Court justices are selected. Election-night totals will remain unofficial while counties finish reporting, canvassing and certification.
Check your polling place and hours
Kansas law generally requires polls to be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time on Election Day. Counties may open polling locations as early as 6 a.m. or close as late as 8 p.m., but locations must remain open for at least 12 consecutive hours.
Because county schedules can vary within that requirement, confirm the actual hours and location before leaving home. The Secretary of State’s VoterView system can be used to check registration information, party association, ballot status and polling-place details. County election offices can also provide the official schedule.
Know which primary ballot you can receive
Registered Republicans may vote only in the Republican primary, and registered Democrats may vote only in the Democratic primary. A voter registered with one party cannot vote in the other party’s primary.
Unaffiliated voters may participate in either the Democratic or Republican primary by affiliating with that party at the polls. They may choose only one party ballot, not both.
What is on the ballot
The August 4 primary includes contests for governor and lieutenant governor, U.S. Senate, U.S. House, attorney general, secretary of state, state treasurer and commissioner of insurance.
Voters in the relevant districts also will see Kansas Senate contests in Districts 24 and 25, all Kansas House seats and selected State Board of Education races. The Secretary of State’s candidate-filing notice identifies the offices and ballot question included in the primary.
The Supreme Court amendment is a separate yes-or-no decision
The ballot also asks whether Kansas should amend its constitution to provide for the direct election of Kansas Supreme Court justices.
Under the official ballot explanation, a yes vote would replace the current vacancy system, under which a nominating commission sends the governor three names and the governor chooses one. Under the proposed system, justices would serve six-year terms and justice positions would be elected in stages: positions 1, 2 and 3 in 2028; positions 4 and 5 in 2030; and positions 6 and 7 in 2032, with elections continuing every six years.
A no vote would leave the current nominating-commission and gubernatorial appointment system in place for vacancies, followed by retention elections. The amendment would not put Supreme Court justice candidates before voters in the 2026 election. Campaign arguments for or against the proposal are separate from the official ballot language.
Bring an accepted photo ID
Kansas requires most voters casting an in-person ballot to show photographic identification. Accepted documents include a driver’s license or identification card issued by Kansas or another state, a U.S. passport, a U.S. military ID, an identification card issued by a Native American tribe, a government employee badge or ID, a student ID from an accredited Kansas postsecondary institution, a concealed-carry license issued by Kansas or another state and a government-issued public-assistance ID.
Voters age 65 or older may use an expired photo ID. Exemptions apply to permanent advance voters with illness or disabilities, military and overseas voters and their spouses and dependents, and voters with religious objections who complete the required declaration.
Mail ballots must arrive by Election Day
The official 2026 Kansas election calendar says all mail ballots must be received on Election Day. Voters returning an advance mail ballot should make sure it reaches the county election office by the applicable deadline rather than relying on descriptions of an earlier grace period.
VoterView can also help voters check advance-ballot status. Voters with questions about delivery, receipt or eligibility should contact their county election office.
Results will change after polls close
County reporting schedules vary, and early returns do not represent the final vote. Mail and in-person votes may be released at different times, so totals can change as counties report additional ballots and complete required canvassing.
The Kansas State Board of Canvassers has until September 1, 2026, to certify the official primary results. Election-night totals and race calls should therefore be treated as unofficial until the canvassing and certification process is complete.
Sources
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