Your Right to Vote

A graphic of three raised hands is on the left. The first hand is gray, the right hand is large and navy blue, and the third hand is orange. To the left of the graphic is a navy blue background with white text reading "Fact Sheet on Voter ID Requirements and Voter Registration." In the bottom left of the page is an orange rectangle with white text reading: "LEARN MORE" with a small icon of a computer mouse.

PDF Version

Photo ID - In Kansas, you have to show an acceptable form of Photo ID when you Vote at the Polls.  This sheet details the rules.

However, if you are approved as a Permanent Advance Voter you do NOT have to show a Photo ID to vote at home.  A Kansan with a permanent disability will be approved as a permanent advance voter, but they have to submit the form.  See how below.  Click here to download the Permanent Advanced Voter Application.

Q. “What photo IDs are OK?”

Q. “I have a permanent disability.  Can I be excused from the photo ID requirement?”

Q. “Becoming a permanent advance voter sounds cool.  How do I apply?”


Q. “What happens once I become a permanent advance voter?”

Q. “What if am not on the permanent advance voting list, but I still want to vote by mail?  Do I provide ID?”

Q. “What if I don’t have a photo ID?  What can I do?”

Q. “Can I get a Kansas ID for free?”


Q. “What if all I have is an expired ID?”

Q. “I could not get my picture ID card because I didn’t have the right documents.  What can I do now?”

To vote in Kansas, you must be registered to vote. Registering to vote is quick and easy.  You must be registered to vote at least 21 days prior to election day.  To register to vote you can either filling out and returning this paper form. Or, if you have a valid Kansas Drivers License or ID, you can register to vote online here. 

“What photo IDs are OK?”

You can use several of these types of ID to prove that you are you, including:
•    A driver's license
•    A nondriver's ID card
•    A U.S. passport
•    A Kansas college ID
•    A U.S. military identification document
•    A government-issued employee badge
•    A concealed carry gun license

Other forms of ID are also acceptable.  You can find a full list and more details at sos.ks.gov/elections/photo-id.

“I have a permanent disability.  Can I be excused from the photo ID requirement?”

Excellent question.  Yes, you can be excused from the photo ID requirements for voting but only if these two things are true for you:  

#1) You must have a permanent disability or illness. Having a permanent disability or illness means it will last the rest of your life. And...


#2) You must be approved as a permanent advance voter.  Permanent advance voters are people who mail in their voting ballot every election instead of voting in person at a polling place. Click here to download the Permanent Advanced Voter Application. Fill out the form and turn it into your County Election Office.  Your county election office can be found here. 

If you meet these two requirements, you do not need a ID to vote. If you do not meet these two requirements, you will need a photo ID to vote.


“Becoming a permanent advance voter sounds cool.  How do I apply?”


Applying to become a permanent advance voter is quick and easy. 
Click here to download the Permanent Advanced Voter Application.

The deadline to submit your application to become a permanent advance voter is at least 4 days before election day.

“What happens once I become a permanent advance voter?”

You will automatically get your ballot in the mail for each election.  Then you can vote in the privacy of your own home.  You return your ballot by mail.  


No more remembering when the next election is.  No more hassles of having to find transportation to the voting place. Permanent advance voting … what could be more convenient?

“What if am not on the permanent advance voting list, but I still want to vote by mail?  Do I provide ID?”

If you want to vote by mail and you are not on the permanent advance voting list, you will have to provide a copy of your ID or more information when you mail in your vote. You will have to either:


#1) Provide a photocopy of your photo ID – remember the list I gave earlier of OK forms of ID.


#2) Or, you will write your full Kansas driver’s license number or nondriver ID number in the space on the ballot form.

“What if I don’t have a photo ID?  What can I do?”

If you don’t have a photo ID, you must do one of these things to vote:
#1) you must get an accepted photo ID and show it to vote (see above), OR

Click here to download the application for free non-driver ID. You must be registered to vote first before you can get a free ID.

#2) you must be approved as a permanent advance voter, as we just talked about. Click here to download the Permanent Advanced Voter Application.


“Can I get a Kansas ID for free?”

Yes, you can get a free Kansas ID. Once you are registered to vote, you
can apply for a free nondriver ID card. Click here to download the application for free non-driver ID.  This next point is very important.  You must first register to vote to get a free Kansas ID.  Click here to download the voter registration card if you are not already registered to vote.

“What if all I have is an expired ID?”

If you are 65 years old or older, you can use an expired photo ID, like an expired driver’s license.  If not, you need a current ID from the above list.

“I could not get my picture ID card because I didn’t have the right documents.  What can I do now?”

You have three things you can do:

#1.  If you were born in Kansas, you can get a copy of your Kansas birth certificate.  You get this for free from the Kansas Office of Vital Statistics.

#2.  If you were born outside Kansas you can pay to get your out-of-state birth certificate. and who do not have proof of identity and do not wish to pay for such a document from their home state, may apply for a State Voter Identification Document. (NOTE: This identification document is valid only for the purpose of voting in Kansas and may not be used for any other purpose.)

  1. not possess any valid photographic identification documents under Kansas law,
  2. lack any of the documents necessary to prove identity,
  3. sign an affidavit attesting to items 1 and 2,
  4. be registered to vote in Kansas, and
  5. have been born outside of the state of Kansas.

OR


#3.  If you have a permanent disability and you are approved as a permanent advance voter, you do not have to provide a photo ID.  Click here to download the Permanent Advanced Voter Application.

Additional Information

For more information about the new Voter ID requirements, go to sos.ks.gov/elections/photo-id.

If you have a disability and need help understanding these laws, the voting process, or any other disability rights issue, please contact the:

Disability Rights Center of Kansas
www.DRCKansas.org
877-776-1541

If you have a problem on election day, you can call the Election Protection hotline at 1-866-OUR-VOTE (1-866-687-8683)

For more information on photo ID requirements or other voting questions, contact the:

Kansas Secretary of State’s Office
www.SOS.Ks.gov
800-262-VOTE.

Your Right to Vote