Student Voting Guide for
Kansas
2016 Registration Deadlines and Election Dates
Voter Registration Deadline: 21 days prior to the Election Day
Registration Deadline: October 18
Election Day: November 8
Online registration, voter registration forms, What Type of ID Do I Need to Register?
polling place locations, and more information Kansas requires new registrants to provide proof of
citizenship. Below is a list of documents acceptable as
can be found at
evidence of U.S. citizenship for voter registration:
www.voteks.org/ and
 Birth certificate that verifies U.S. citizenship;
www.gotvoterid.com/
 U.S. passport or pertinent pages of the applicant’s
Register at School or Home?
Students have a choice about where to register to vote.
School address:
 Students attending college in Kansas may register at
their school address. You must plan to return after
temporary absences, like summer break, but do not
have to plan to reside at that address permanently.
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Permanent address:
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 Students may choose to register or remain registered
at a permanent address in Kansas or outside the state.
In this case, students may need to vote by absentee
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ballot.
You may only be registered and vote in one location.
For other states’ registration information visit:
www.campusvoteproject.org/studentguides
This Guide was prepared by FELN staff who are not licensed to practice
law in Kansas and FELN intends that the information contained herein is
used only as a general guide. This document should not be used as a
substitute for consultation with a licensed Kansas legal professional.
Last updated May 19, 2016
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valid or expired United States passport identifying
the applicant and the applicant's passport number;
U.S. naturalization documents;
Bureau of Indian Affairs card number, tribal treaty
card number or tribal enrollment number;
Consular report of birth abroad of a citizen of the
U.S.;
Certificate of citizenship issued by the United States
Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services;
Certification of report of birth issued by the U.S.
Department of State;
American Indian card, with KIC classification, issued
by the United States Department of Homeland
Security;
Final adoption decree showing the applicant’s name
and U.S. birthplace;
U.S. military record of service showing applicant's
place of birth in the U.S.;
Extract from a U.S. hospital birth record; and
Only if the agency indicates on the applicant’s
driver’s license or non-driver’s identification card
that the person has provided satisfactory proof of
United States citizenship, then a driver’s license or
non-driver’s ID card issued by the Kansas Division of
Vehicles or the equivalent governmental agency of
another U.S. state.
www.campusvoteproject.org
A Project of the Fair Elections Legal Network
What Type of ID Do I Need to Register?
(continued)
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If a citizenship document is not provided with a
voter registration application, it may be submitted
later by mail or delivered to the county election
office by the close of business the day before
Election Day, or (2) submitted electronically by
midnight the day before Election Day. For all
information on ID and proof-of-citizenship
requirements visit http://www.gotvoterid.com/.
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Kansas’s voter registration form asks for your Kansas
driver’s license or ID number, or the last four digits
of your Social Security Number. Make sure you have
it when completing your registration form.
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In-person voters need to provide a photo ID whether
they vote an advance ballot or on Election Day, but
advance mail-in voters only need to submit a copy of
their photo ID with the advance ballot application if
they lack a Kansas driver’s license or ID card (see
below).
What Type of ID Do I Need to Vote?
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All voters in Kansas must show photo ID when
voting an advance ballot in person or at the polls on
Election Day.
However, any voter casting a mail-in advance ballot
need only submit a copy of his/her photo ID with the
advance ballot application, if he/she does not have a
Kansas driver’s license or ID card. Otherwise, the
Kansas driver’s license or ID card number satisfies
this requirement.
Other acceptable forms of ID include: a driver’s
license issued by Kansas or another state; student
IDs issued by accredited postsecondary educational
institutions; a state ID card issued by Kansas or by
another state; an employee badge or ID document
issued by a municipal, county, state, or federal
government office or agency; a concealed carry of
handgun license issued by Kansas or another state; a
US military ID; a US passport; a public assistance ID
card issued by a municipal, county, state, or federal
government office or agency; and an ID card issued
by an Indian tribe.
Where Do I Vote?
Make a plan. Look up your polling location and hours at:
myvoteinfo.voteks.org
How Can I Vote?
By Mail
Any voter registered in Kansas may vote absentee
through an “early ballot,” which may be requested in
person at the election office, by fax or by mail.
The advance ballot application is available online from
the Secretary of State at http://www.sos.ks.gov/forms/
elections/AV1.pdf. For the general election, a request for
a mail-in advance ballot must be received by the county
election officer by the last business day of the week
preceding the election. If the requester lacks a current
and valid Kansas driver’s license or ID number, then he/
she must mail in a copy of his/her photo identification
with the application. The list is the same as before:
 Driver’s license issued by Kansas or another state;
 Non-driver’s ID card issued by Kansas or another
state;
 Employee badge or ID document issued by a
municipal, county, state or federal government
office;
 U.S. military ID;
 U.S. passport;
 Student ID card issued by an accredited Kansas
postsecondary educational institution;
 Concealed carry of handgun license issued by Kansas
or another state;
 Public assistance ID card issued by a government
office; or
 An ID card issued by an Indian tribe.
Completed ballots must be received by the county
election officer by the close of polls on Election Day.
Advance In Person
The advance voting period must be at least 7 days long
and can be 20 days long.
An advance ballot may be cast until noon on the day
before Election Day. Note that this is different from the
deadline for receipt of mail-in advance ballots: the close
of the polls on Election Day.
Some counties set up satellite voting locations. To figure
out where to cast your advance ballot, please contact
your county election officer: http://www.sos.ks.gov/
elections/elections_registration_ceo.asp.
On Election Day
The polls are open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m.
www.campusvoteproject.org
A Project of the Fair Elections Legal Network
Common Questions
Will voting in Kansas affect my federal financial aid?
Where you register to vote will not affect federal financial aid such as Pell Grants and Perkins or Stafford loans or
your dependency status regarding FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid).
Will I lose my scholarship if I register to vote in Kansas?
Generally, no. If you receive scholarship money from a state, county, town, or a private entity (i.e., an entity other
than the federal government) you should confirm that residency in a particular place is not a requirement of the
scholarship and/or that voter registration in Kansas will not affect your eligibility.
Will registering to vote in Kansas affect my driver’s license or car registration?
Yes. If you register to vote in Kansas, you should obtain a Kansas driver’s license and you may have to register your
vehicle in Kansas. For more information, you may wish to contact the Kansas Department of Revenue, Division of
Vehicles.
Will registering to vote in Kansas prevent my parents from claiming me as a dependent on their taxes?
No. Students are often told that registering to vote in a different state from their parents will make them lose their
dependency status. This is not true. Where you register to vote will have no effect on your parent’s tax status.
Does being an out-of-state student for tuition purposes affect my right to vote in my college community?
No. You may choose to vote in your college community or back home regardless of your tuition status.
According to the U.S. Supreme Court, students have the right to register and
vote in their college towns if they meet the same requirements as everyone
else. Misinformation, such as claims that registering to vote at school may
jeopardize eligibility for financial aid or insurance, are sometimes used to
discourage students from voting locally.
The Higher Education Act requires most colleges and universities to make a good faith effort to distribute
voter registration forms to every student.
Make sure yours does.
www.campusvoteproject.org
A Project of the Fair Elections Legal Network