Kansas voters will continue to have a three-day grace period for mail-in ballots after the Kansas Supreme Court declined to overturn a lower court ruling ahead of the Aug. 4 primary election. The decision means ballots postmarked by Election Day will still be counted if they arrive at county election offices within three days after polls close.
The ruling follows a Douglas County judge's temporary injunction blocking Senate Bill 4, a 2025 law that would have eliminated the grace period. Secretary of State Scott Schwab asked the state's highest court to intervene, arguing the late change could confuse voters because election materials had already been distributed under the new law. The Supreme Court rejected those requests, allowing the normal appeals process to continue without ruling on the underlying legal challenge.
For the upcoming primary, Kansas mail-in ballots must still be postmarked by Election Day and received within three days to be counted while the case moves through the courts.
