Kansas Election Standards Developed by the Office of Secretary of State Ron Thornburgh and the Kansas County Clerks and Election Officials Association Revised July, 2007 www.kssos.org/elections/elections_reform_standards.html Copyright 2007 Kansas Election Standards Table of Contents Revised 7/1/07 Introduction Chapter I. Voter Registration a. Qualifications for voting ……….…………………………....... I - 1 b. Disqualifications ………………..…………………………….. I - 1 Death notices ..........................................................................I - 1 Felony convictions .................................................................I - 2 c. Application ……………………..……………………………... I - 2 d. Processing applications ………...……………………………... I – 3 Voter identification ................................................................I - 3 Citizenship and age ................................................................I - 4 Alternative forms of signatures ..............................................I - 5 Notices of disposition ............................................................I - 5 Registration deadline .............................................................I - 5 Verification notices ................................................................I - 6 e. List maintenance ……………………………………………… I - 7 Inactive and suspended statuses .............................................I - 7 Tracking address changes ......................................................I - 8 Confirmation mailing procedure ............................................I - 9 Change of address forms ........................................................I - 10 Change of address procedure .................................................I - 10 Emergency 9-1-1 addressing..................................................I - 11 Voter History .........................................................................I - 12 Systematic list maintenance program ....................................I - 13 National Change of Address program..........................I - 13 Mass or targeted mailings ............................................I - 13 Duplicate check ............................................................I - 14 Interstate data crosschecks ...........................................I - 14 Cancellations ................................................................I - 14 f. Party affiliation ……………………………………………….. I - 15 g. Central voter registration database ………………………..….. I - 15 h. National Voter Registration Act of 1993 ………………...…… I - 17 Expanding voter registration opportunities ............................I - 17 Maintaining accurate registration lists ...................................I - 18 Fail-safe voting ......................................................................I - 19 Chapter II. Election Administration a. Types of Elections …………………………………………….. II - 1 1. City/school …………………………………………….. II - 1 2. National/state/county/township ………………………... II - 2 3. Question submitted elections………………………….. II - 5 Guidelines for special elections……………..………II - 6 4. Mail ballot elections …………………………………… II - 7 5. Presidential preference primary ……………………….. II - 8 6. Recall elections ………………………………………... II - 11 7. Advisory elections …………………………………….. II - 14 b. Preparing for an Election …………………………………….. II - 16 1. Alternative languages …………………………………. II - 16 2. Calendar ……………………………………………….. II - 17 3. Publications ……………………………………………. II - 18 4. Printing ballots ………………………………………… II - 21 5. Advance voting ………………………………………... II - 23 6. Voter registration deadline ……………………………. II - 24 7. Election boards ………………………………………… II - 24 Composition II - 24 Teenage election board workers II - 25 Split shifts II - 25 Qualifications II - 25 Pay II - 26 Recruitment and appointment II - 26 Screening felon board workers II - 26 Training II - 27 Authority of election boards II - 27 Accessibility for election board workers II - 28 8. Testing voting equipment ……………………………… II - 28 9. Supplies ………………………………………………... II - 28 10. Emergencies …………………………………………. II - 28 11. Accessibility ………………………………………… II - 30 c. Voting ………………………………………………………….. II - 34 1. Election day ………………………………………….. II - 34 Procedure by voter II - 34 Procedure by election board II - 35 2. Advance voting ………………………………………. II - 37 Applying for ballots II - 37 Voter identification II - 38 Faxing applications II - 38 Permanent and assisted II - 39 Power of attorney II - 40 Replacement ballots II - 40 Transmitting ballots II - 41 Satellite advance voting II - 41 Casting ballots II - 41 Mailed II - 41 In person II - 41 Advance voting lists II - 42 Canvassing II - 42 3. Federal services voting ………………………………. II - 45 Applications II - 45 Fax and email II - 45 Voting eligibility II - 46 Voter identification II - 46 Ballot distribution II - 46 Deadline II - 46 Canvassing II - 47 4. President-only voting ………………………………… II - 48 Categories II - 48 Applications II - 48 Ballot distribution II - 48 Casting ballots II - 49 d. Challenged/Provisional Ballots ……………………………… II - 50 Procedure for administering II - 50 Former precinct voting II - 50 After-hours provisional voting II - 51 e. Election Records and the Open Records Act ………………… II - 52 f. Authorized Poll Agents ……………………………………… II - 54 Who II - 54 How many II - 54 Qualifications II - 54 Appointment II - 54 What poll agents may do II - 55 Limits II - 55 g. Election crimes ………………………………………………… II - 56 General information II - 56 Investigation and prosecution II - 57 h. Geography …………………………………………………….. II - 58 1. Census ………………………………………………… II - 58 2. Precincts/VTDs ………………………………………... II - 58 3. Annexations ………………………………………….... II - 59 4. Redistricting …………………………………………… II - 60 h. Other Local Units of Government …………………………….. II - 61 i. Help America Vote Act of 2002 ………………………………. II - 62 Improving election administration II - 62 Improving accessibility II - 64 Financing election reform II - 64 k. Alternative and Substitute Signatures……………………………II - 66 Chapter III. Canvassing ……………………………………………… III - 1 a. Election Night Tabulation ……………………………………... III - 1 Local elections III - 1 National and state elections III - 2 b. Original Canvass ………………………………………………. III - 2 Special write-in boards III - 3 Photography at the canvas III - 3 c. Intermediate Canvass ………………………………………….. III - 3 d. Final Canvass ………………………………………………….. III - 4 Photography III - 5 Preparing for the county canvass III - 5 e. Provisional Ballots …………………………………………….. III - 5 Processing by the county election officer III - 5 Canvassing III - 6 Partial provisional ballots III - 7 f. Voter Intent ……………………………………………………. III - 12 What constitutes a vote III - 12 Totality of ballot III - 12 Voting systems in use in Kansas III - 13 Hand-counted paper ballots III - 13 Optical scan systems III - 13 Direct recording electronic systems III - 14 g. Write-In Votes ………………………………………………… III - 17 Affidavits of write-in candidacy III - 17 Write-in stickers or labels III - 18 Attorney General Opinions III - 18 Fictitious names and unqualified candidates III - 19 Nicknames III - 19 Case law III - 20 Write-in votes on electronic equipment III - 21 h. Recounts ………………………………………………………. III - 24 i. Election Contests ………………………………………………. III - 27 Who may file III - 27 When to file III - 27 Where to file III - 27 Grounds for contest III - 28 Procedure III - 28 Costs III - 28 Chapter IV. Candidates ………………………………………………. IV - 1 a. Nominations ……………………………………………………. IV - 1 Partisan elections IV - 1 Nomination at the primary IV - 1 Nomination by a minor party IV - 1 Independent nomination IV - 2 Nonpartisan elections IV - 2 b. Candidate Filings ………………………………………………. IV - 3 National and state offices IV - 3 County, township and local offices IV - 3 Political party precinct committee positions IV - 3 Candidate qualifications IV - 3 Candidate filing deadlines IV - 4 Determining validity of nominations IV - 4 Candidate withdrawals IV - 4 Candidate deaths IV - 5 c. Write-In Candidates ……………………………………………. IV - 5 d. Objections ……………………………………………………… IV - 6 e. Campaign Finance ……………………………………………... IV - 7 f. Political Parties …………………………………………………. IV - 8 Official recognition IV - 8 Loss of recognition IV - 8 Contact information IV - 9 g. Qualifications of Candidates and Officeholders ……………….. IV - 10 Chapter V. Petitions ………………………………………………….. V - 1 a. Types of Petitions ……………………………………………… V - 1 Protest petitions V - 1 Statutory initiative petitions V - 2 Candidate petitions V - 3 Requirements V - 4 Independent petitions V - 4 Petition forms V - 4 Circulators V - 5 Petition signers V - 5 Filing petitions V - 5 Validity V - 6 Recall petitions V - 6 Political party recognition petitions V - 7 Unofficial, nonbinding petitions V - 8 b. Petition Circulators ……………………………………………. V - 9 c. Procedure for Circulating ……………………………………… V - 9 d. Determining Sufficiency of Petitions …………………………. V - 9 Fundamental rights petitions V - 10 Guidelines for verifying petitions V - 10 Illegal activities V - 11 Legal advice V - 11 Chapter VI. Voting Systems ………………………………………….. VI - 1 a. Certification ……………………………………………………. VI - 1 Procedure VI - 1 b. County Acquisition ……………………………………………. VI - 1 c. Types of Systems …………………………………………….. VI - 2 Current county systems VI - 2 d. Security ………………………………………………………… VI - 2 Chapter VII. Public Officers …………………………………………. VII - 1 a. Incompatibility and Conflict of Interest ……………………….. VII - 1 b. Vacancies in Office ……………………………………………. VII - 2 c. Filling Vacancies ………………………………………………. VII - 3 d. Election for Unexpired Term ………………………………….. VII - 3 e. Oaths of Office …………………………………………………