Research & Publications

Early voting for the 2026 general election is about to kick off here in Kansas, and for voters in two of the state’s largest counties, finding the time to do so will be easier than ever before.

ACLU of Kansas is launching Opportunity Forward, a new campaign focused on building a Kansas where everyone has the opportunity to thrive. The campaign brings together three priorities that are central to our vision for a more just and equitable state: preserving in-state tuition, limiting 287(g) agreements, and preventing issuance of ICE detainers.

From changes to early voting locations and offering translated election-related materials, changes to election administration in Johnson County have proven that accessibility isn’t just about whether resources exist—but whether voters can actually find and use those resources. Questions of accessibility depend on answers of voters being able to vote how, when, and where they choose, and having the ability to do so without unnecessary barriers.

A toolkit on gender markers for birth certificates and driver's licenses in both Kansas and Missouri.

In this report, we examine how varied policies in election administration across the state’s 105 counties means that the right to vote doesn’t look the same for all Kansans. Using data from the 2024 General Election, we explore how election administration practices impact voter turnout. This report reveals how Kansans' ability to cast a ballot and exercise the right to vote is not equally accessible for all—depending on factors such as zip code, age, race, ethnicity, schedule, or disability status—and recommends clear steps for local election officials to make democratic participation accessible and convenient.

The right to vote is the cornerstone of our democracy, but this report highlights the reality that the right to vote doesn’t look the same for all Kansans. Far too often, access to the polls is dependent on your zip code, the language you speak, your job, age, the number of advance voting locations available to you and what hours they’re open, and countless other factors outside of your control.

Back when I was clerking for a court, there was a case where everyone assumed a defendant understood enough English to proceed without an interpreter. It quickly became clear that he did not fully understand what was being said, and the hearing was immediately continued until an interpreter could be present. The court recognized something we often overlook elsewhere: being present is not the same thing as understanding.