Are ballots marked by poll workers invalidated in Kansas?

Kansas law requires ballots used with optical scanning equipment to be marked by election officials to verify their authenticity. 

The state’s election laws require workers to mark each paper ballot before giving it to voters. The mark is consistent across ballots from the same polling place and is not used to identify individual ballots.

Since 2022, Kansas ballots have also been watermarked. Both the mark and watermark must be present for a ballot to be counted by tabulating equipment. These marks verify that ballots are official and provide an additional layer of security, according to the Kansas Secretary of State’s office.

Voters who receive a damaged or soiled ballot may request up to two replacements, which election workers will also mark. Anyone who suspects election tampering can report their concerns to an election worker or the Kansas Secretary of State.