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Saline County canvass approves counting 75 provisional ballots, declines 18; one partial count approved
Summary
Election officials in Saline County reviewed 94 provisional/contested ballots after the Nov. 4, 2025 election, voting 4-0 to count 75 in full, partially count one, and exclude 18; staff also reported about 50 mailings returned undeliverable and turnout of roughly 21.8% before provisionals.
Saline County election staff presented a review of provisional and otherwise contested ballots following the Nov. 4, 2025 election and the canvass panel approved staff recommendations on multiple categories of ballots.
"I have 75 that I recommend be counted," said Speaker 2 (unidentified speaker), listing categories that included 56 voters who moved within the county and therefore had countable ballots, two who moved within the county but had not updated their registration card, six who cast ballots at the wrong polling place, five who received advance ballots and then voted in person, four name-change cases and two clerical issues. The panel voted 4-0 to accept that recommendation.
Speaker 2 also described a single case recommended for partial counting because the voter had moved within the county but voted at the wrong polling place; staff recommended counting the races that were identical between the polling places (school district and extension district races). The panel approved the partial-count recommendation.
On the other side, staff recommended not counting 18 ballots for a set of reasons: 10 voters were not registered by the registration deadline (of those, Speaker 2 said six were not registered in Kansas and four were not registered in Saline County), four mail ballots had late postmarks (which Speaker 2 said state law prohibits counting), two were clerical errors and one advance ballot lacked a signature that was not cured before the canvas. The motion to exclude the 18 ballots carried 4-0.
After the votes, Speaker 2 summarized the review: the canvass covered a total of 94 provisional or contested ballots (the 75 fully countable, one partially countable, and 18 not countable), and staff reported 50 mailed ballots had been returned undeliverable. Speaker 2 said staff had made multiple attempts to contact affected voters and had begun sending cancellation letters where voters appeared to have moved out of state.
The meeting also noted turnout context: Speaker 2 reported roughly 1,700 early voters and about 500 mail ballots — a little over 2,000 combined — out of about 8,200 registered voters, which Speaker 2 characterized as about 21.8% participation before provisional ballots were added.
The panel concluded by directing staff to continue follow-up on returned or undeliverable ballots and adjourned.
Votes at a glance: accept 75 count — approved 4-0; accept partial count (1 ballot) — approved; do not count 18 ballots — approved 4-0.
