amendment 1Only U.S. citizens can vote
Read the full text of the measure: Official ballot language
In plain words
Right now the Kansas Constitution says every U.S. citizen who is 18 or older and lives in the voting area is a qualified voter. This amendment flips the wording: no one is a qualified voter unless they are a U.S. citizen, 18 or older, and live in the voting area. Federal law already bars noncitizens from voting in federal races. (kslegislature.gov )
Before and after
| Wording of voter rule | 'Every citizen of the United States who has attained the age of 18 ... shall be deemed a qualified elector.' | 'No person shall be deemed a qualified elector unless such person' is a U.S. citizen, 18 or older, and lives in the voting area. |
|---|---|---|
| Who can vote in state races | U.S. citizens 18+ who live in the area | Same |
| Local elections (city, school board) | Constitution does not say in plain words that only citizens may vote | Constitution says only citizens may vote |
| Voting for president after moving away | Allowed under current rules | Same |
Numbers from the official ballot title (ballot title ); also see (kslegislature.gov )
Biggest change
- New wording: 'No person shall be deemed a qualified elector unless such person: (1) Is a citizen of the United States; (2) has attained the age of eighteen years; and (3) ... resides in the voting area in which such person seeks to vote.' source: sos.ks.gov
- Keeps the current rules on voting for president and vice president after moving out of state, and on voting in a former voting area after moving inside Kansas. source: sos.ks.gov
Who it affects most: Mostly a wording change. It would matter most if a Kansas city or county ever tried to let noncitizens vote in local elections.
Cost to the state: No fiscal note was available. The Secretary of State's office estimated about $50,000 from the State General Fund to publish public notice of the amendment.
Our plain-words summary. Every line points to its source.
What your vote means
A YES vote changes Article 5, Section 1 of the Kansas Constitution to say only U.S. citizens who are 18 or older and live in the voting area can vote.
A NO vote keeps the current wording of Article 5, Section 1 the same.
Our one-line summary. Kansas does not publish an official "what your vote means" statement; the ballot title above is the official description.
Why people want it, and why others object
Why this is on the ballot
The Legislature put this on the ballot. It changes the state constitution, so only another statewide vote can change it back. It passes with A simple majority of the votes cast on the question (more YES than NO)..
- The Kansas Legislature, by a two-thirds vote in each chamber (House 90-28 on Feb 5, 2025; Senate 37-3 on Mar 25, 2025). The governor has no role. source: sos.ks.gov
- Rep. Pat Proctor (R-Leavenworth) and 46 other House members sponsored the resolution. source: kslegislature.gov
- Federal law already bars noncitizens from voting in federal elections. Per Ballotpedia, noncitizens may vote in some local elections in three states. source: kcur.org
- Eight states approved similar citizenship-voting amendments in 2024, including Iowa, Kentucky, and South Carolina. source: news.ballotpedia.org
- A different amendment, to have voters elect Kansas Supreme Court justices (SCR 1611), was on the Aug 4, 2026 primary ballot and was rejected. It is not on the Nov 3 ballot. source: kspress.com
Why supporters want it
No public statement found.
Why opponents object
No public statement found.
Who backs each side
- For: Americans for Citizen Voting (Testified in favor at the House Elections Committee (2025).) source: kslegislature.gov
- For: Opportunity Solutions Project (Testified in favor at the House Elections Committee (2025).) source: kslegislature.gov
- Against: Loud Light Civic Action (Testified against in 2025; its president spoke against it in Sept 2026.) source: kcur.org
- Against: ACLU of Kansas (Written testimony against at the House Elections Committee (2025).) source: kslegislature.gov
- Against: League of Women Voters of Kansas (Written testimony against at the House Elections Committee (2025).) source: kslegislature.gov
- These are 2025 committee testimony positions, not confirmed 2026 campaign committees. Check KS Governmental Ethics Commission for registered ballot-question committees.
In each side's own words where we could find them, quoted or summarized with a link to the source. We don't endorse either side.
What you will see on your ballot
Official ballot wording, word for word (tap to open)
The official ballot title, word for word from the Kansas Secretary of State .
"Explanatory statement. This amendment would clarify that only a person who is a citizen of the United States is eligible to vote in this state.
"A vote for this proposition would clarify that only a person who is a citizen of the United States is eligible to vote in this state.
"A vote against this proposition would make no change to the constitution of the state of Kansas, and the language concerning voter qualifications would remain the same."
Shall the following be adopted?
YES
NO
Copied word for word from the Secretary of State's official ballot for the constitutional amendment (checked Oct 15 2026 against the downloaded PDF).
Latest news
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Full text of the measure
Read it in the Official ballot language , or on the Legislature's page for House Concurrent Resolution 5004 (2025 Session Laws of Kansas, Chapter 136) , which also shows the votes in each chamber.
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