Kansas
Notarize every page — and there is no statewide initiative
Kansas has moderate candidate thresholds and one of the most administratively unforgiving petition formats in the region: every page needs a notarized circulator affidavit, and a defective affidavit voids every page it covers. Circulator residency was repealed in 2014, so out-of-state crews are legal. What Kansas does not have is a statewide initiative or referendum — all measure work is municipal or county, and the city thresholds are among the highest in the country.
Signature Requirements
| Office / Measure | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Independent candidate, statewide office | 5,000 qualified voters (Governor and Lieutenant Governor count as a pair) |
| Independent candidate, county, district or sub-state division | 4% of the current total of qualified voters in the district — minimum 25, maximum 5,000 |
| Independent candidate, township office | 5% of the township’s current qualified voters, minimum 10 |
| Party primary candidate, statewide office | 1% of that party’s statewide registration — or pay the filing fee instead |
| Party primary candidate, district office | 2% of that party’s registration in the district — or pay the filing fee instead |
| State Board of Education (party primary) | 200 registered voters of the district |
| New political party | 2% of the total vote cast for all candidates for Governor at the last general election |
| City ordinance initiative (K.S.A. 12-3013) | 25% of voters in the last regular city election in cities of the first class; 40% in second and third class cities |
Fee or petition — the party primary choice
Kansas is a clean fee-alternative state: a party primary candidate either pays the filing fee or files a petition, never both. Fees run 1 percent of the office’s annual salary plus a $20 administrative charge for statewide and federal offices, with flat amounts for legislative seats, plus a separate Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission registration fee. Amounts change — confirm each cycle. Independent candidates have no fee alternative.
Deadline structure
Party primary petitions and fee filings are due by noon on June 1, or the next business day if that falls on a weekend or holiday, ahead of the August primary. New party petitions share that June 1 deadline. Independent candidate petitions are due at noon on the Monday preceding the primary, which sits in early August in even-numbered years. The Secretary of State must determine the validity of an independent petition within 20 days of receipt, and before the State Board of Canvassers meets.
Circulators and notarization
A circulator must meet the constitutional qualifications to be an elector — 18 and a U.S. citizen — but House Bill 2130 (2014) repealed the residency requirement, so out-of-state circulators are permitted. The circulator must personally witness every signature and may not sign a page they circulated. Each page carries a signed, notarized circulator affidavit, though one affidavit may cover several pages if attached together. An incorrect affidavit invalidates every page it applies to.
Signature validity rules
Signers must be registered voters residing in the election district. For party primary petitions signers must be affiliated with the candidate’s party; independent petitions accept any affiliation. Each signer gives printed name, signature, address, city, ZIP and date, and may sign only once per office. All signers on a page must reside in the same county — mandatory for candidate, recall and party recognition petitions. Signatures dated outside the 180-day window before filing are void.
No cure, no supplementation
Kansas provides no cure period. If a filed petition is insufficient, the candidate may not submit additional signatures to fix it, and partial filings are prohibited — a second submission counts as a separate petition. Signers may withdraw by written notice within three days after filing. Before circulating, petitioners should submit the blank form to the county or district attorney for a written legality opinion, due within five business days; skipping that review is how format defects reach the field.
Ballot Measures in Kansas
Kansas has no statewide citizen initiative or referendum. Constitutional amendments reach voters only when two-thirds of each legislative chamber refers them, and there is no mechanism for citizens to place a statute or amendment on a statewide ballot by signature — the state’s own election standards address only candidate, recall, party recognition and local question petitions. Local initiative rights, though, are real and heavily used. Under K.S.A. 12-3013 a petition to propose a city ordinance must be signed by electors equal to 25 percent of those who voted in the last regular city election in cities of the first class, or 40 percent in cities of the second and third class, measured from the poll books. If sufficient, the governing body must either adopt the ordinance unchanged within 20 days or call an election, and only one special initiative election may be held in any six-month period. A voter-adopted ordinance cannot be repealed or amended except by another vote of the people, or by the governing body after ten years.
What Trips Campaigns Up in Kansas
We've Worked This Ground
Kansas Ballot Access FAQ
Does Kansas have a statewide ballot initiative?
No. Kansas has no statewide initiative or referendum at all. Constitutional amendments require a two-thirds vote of both chambers before going to voters, and there is no citizen-initiated statute process.
Can out-of-state circulators work in Kansas?
Yes. House Bill 2130 (2014) repealed the circulator residency requirement. Circulators must still be at least 18 and U.S. citizens, must personally witness every signature, and must sign a notarized affidavit for each page.
What is the most common reason a Kansas petition fails?
Affidavit defects. Because one notarized circulator affidavit governs each page or attached group of pages, an incorrect affidavit invalidates all of them — and there is no cure period after filing.
Do I have to petition if I’m running in a party primary?
No. Party primary candidates may pay the filing fee instead. Only independent candidates and new parties must go the signature route, and they have no fee alternative.
Running a Campaign in This State?
Signature requirements are the easy part. Hitting them on deadline is the job.