Here’s info to help Lawrence-area voters make informed decisions in the local, state and federal races on ballots in the Tuesday, Nov. 3 general election.
What’s on my ballot? You can check all the races that will be on your ballot and get a peek at a sample ballot by visiting myvoteinfo.voteks.org/voterview/.
Post last updated Monday, Nov. 2, 2026
Jump to a section:
• How and when you can cast your ballot
• Lawrence Transit sales tax
• Douglas County races
• Lawrence-area statehouse races
• Constitutional amendment question
• Statewide races
• Federal races
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How and when you can cast your ballot
Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3. Read about your options to cast your ballot on Election Day in this article.
Voters need to bring photo ID to cast their ballots in person. Acceptable forms of ID include state-issued IDs or driver’s licenses, passports, tribal IDs and more; see a complete list at this link.
Regarding gender markers: Douglas County voters do not need to worry if the gender marker on their driver’s license does not match their appearance. County Clerk Jamie Shew said the gender marker is not relevant to ID for voting. Poll workers are trained to look at the name and photo of the person presenting the ID. If there is a question regarding the photo, the person may present an additional ID with a photo to confirm their identity, Shew said. There is also a name discrepancy form that can be filed if there is a difference between name on an ID and voter registration, he said.
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In addition, voters who may have received a notice that their license or ID is “invalid” in the wake of the passage of Kansas’ latest anti-transgender bill, SB 244, don’t need to worry. Shew said poll workers are only checking expiration dates on driver’s licenses for voters under age 65.
“Voters need to know that they will be treated with the same respect and courtesy as everyone else and we will not be checking the gender marker in their ids,” Shew said via email ahead of the August primary. “I recognize the concern and anxiety and encourage anyone to contact our office if they have further questions.”
Inform your vote
Lawrence Transit sales tax
The city is asking Lawrence voters to increase and extend the sales tax that supports Lawrence Transit.
At the current 0.2% transit sales tax tax rate, people pay 4 cents on every $20 they spend, or 20 cents per $100 spent, for transit funding.
Transit staff are proposing increasing that rate to 0.3%. That would mean people pay 6 cents on every $20 they spend for transit funding, or 30 cents per $100 spent.
Here’s a full Q&A to help you decide your vote:
Douglas County-level races
A Democrat and a Libertarian are vying to represent Baldwin City, parts of south-central Lawrence and much of southeastern Douglas County as the commissioner for District 5.
Douglas County Commission District 1 and 4 seats are also on the ballot, but the Democratic candidates who won their primaries in August — Patrick Kelly and Ethan Spurling, respectively — do not face a Republican in the general election. However, District 4 incumbent Gene Dorsey has launched a write-in campaign seeking to keep his seat.
Check your commission district and see all the races that will be on your ballot by visiting myvoteinfo.voteks.org/voterview/.
Maya Smith/Lawrence Times
• In addition, Douglas County District Judges Amy Hanley and Stacey Donovan are facing retention votes.
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Lawrence-area statehouse seats
Most races for Lawrence-area seats in the Kansas House of Representatives are uncontested this year, including Districts 44, 45 and 46, represented by Democrats Barbara Ballard, Mike Amyx and Brooklynne Mosley, respectively.
Incumbent Suzanne Wikle won the Democratic primary against challenger TJ Campsey for the House District 10 seat. No Republicans filed, so the primary likely decided the election.
Elsewhere in Douglas County:
• Incumbent Republican Courtney Sappington, of Baldwin City, won the August primary for the House District 5 seat. She will face Democrat Henry Johns, of Lawrence, in the Nov. 3 general election.
• Incumbent Republican Lance W. Neelly, of Tonganoxie, won the primary for the House District 42 seat. He will face Brandon Wendt, a Tonganoxie Democrat, in the general election.
• In House District 47, Republican Paula Newell Ellis, of Meriden, prevailed in the primary election. She will face Mary T. Williams, a Meriden Democrat, in the general election.
• In House District 43, Republican Bill Sutton, of Gardner, will face Democrat Kristen Schultz, of Gardner.
• In House District 117, Republican Adam Turk, of Shawnee, will face Democrat Brandon Holland, of Baldwin City.
Some of these candidates filled out our 2024 election questionnaires. Find their answers via this link and this link.
Statewide elections
Constitutional amendment question
Voters in August defeated an amendment that would have changed the way Kansas Supreme Court justices are selected.
Race for Kansas governor
Republican Ty Masterson, of Andover is running with Jeffrey Klemp, of Lansing, and Democrat Cindy Holscher, of Overland Park, is running with KC Ohaebosim, of Wichita, in the race for governor. Incumbent Gov. Laura Kelly, a Democrat is term-limited and cannot run again.
Kansas attorney general
Chris Mann, a Lawrence Democrat, will face off against incumbent Republican AG Kris Kobach, of Lecompton.
Secretary of state
Democrat Jennifer Day, of Overland Park, advanced from the August primary to face Republican Pat Proctor and United Kansas Party candidate Scott Morgan, of Lawrence, in the general election.
In three-way Kansas secretary of state race, deep disagreements over election administration
In the race to become the state’s top elections officer, Kansas voters can pick from a Democrat who spent five months in the Legislature five years ago, a former Republican who is trying to establish an alternative party, and a Republican legislator whose campaign focuses on the fear of noncitizens voting.
State treasurer
Juan C. Luengo, an Olathe Democrat; incumbent Steven Johnson, an Assaria Republican; and Eric Lund, a Paola Libertarian, will face off.
Commissioner of insurance
Dinah Sykes, a Lenexa Democrat; Dan Hawkins, a Wichita Republican; and Ric Koehn, a Cimarron Libertarian, will face off.
• Kansas Supreme Court Justices Larkin E. Walsh and Eric S. Rosen face retention votes.
• Kansas Court of Appeals Judges Lesley Ann Isherwood, Amy Fellows Cline, Lori Ann Bolton Fleming, Kim Schoeder and Jacy Hurst face retention votes.
You can learn more about the judges facing retention votes through the Kansas Bar Association’s website at this link. A majority of Kansas lawyers who participated in a survey recommend retaining all judges.
See complete lists of statewide candidates on the secretary of state’s website at this link.
Federal races
Here’s coverage we’ve reposted thus far from Kansas News Service and Kansas Reflector in the races for U.S. Senate and House seats, plus our coverage of the Big First forum held in Lawrence.
Find links to additional paywall-free Kansas news sources on our State news page at this link.
U.S. Senate
Incumbent Republican Sen. Roger Marshall, of St. John, faces Democrat Adam Hamilton, of Stilwell, and Libertarian David C. Graham, of Overland Park.
Congressional District 1
This district, currently represented by Tracey Mann, includes Lawrence and the majority of central and western Kansas, but not the rest of Douglas County. Democrat Lauren Reinhold and Libertarian Steve Jacob, both of Lawrence, are running for the seat.
Cuyler Dunn/Lawrence Times
Congressional District 2
This district, currently represented by Derek Schmidt, includes Douglas County outside of Lawrence. Schmidt, a Republican, will face Democrat Don Coover, of Galesburg, and Libertarian John Hauer, of Topeka.
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