Tuesday is three weeks to Election Day in Kansas and Missouri, and the last day to register to vote in Kansas (Missouri’s deadline was last week).
Between federal, state and local candidates, and plenty of ballot questions, there’s a lot to figure out on your ballot. That’s why a new series from KCUR, “What’s the Deal, KC?,” is setting out to answer your most pressing questions about the midterm elections.
Do you feel ready to vote? Check out KCUR’s voter guide, or send us your questions about your ballot between now and Nov. 3 at 816-601-4777.
This upcoming week, we’re taking your questions about Kansas elections. The state will elect a U.S. senator, governor, secretary of state, attorney general, and more top offices on Nov. 3. What do you want to know about the candidates and their policy positions on issues important to you?
Here are some of the most common questions KCUR got last week:
Q: I live in Missouri. How do I know what Congressional district I’m voting in?
Many Missourians are slated to vote in different Congressional districts this November than they did in August, as a result of months of legal challenges over the map that state lawmakers re-drew in 2025.
Missouri will use the older, 2022 map for its general election. If you voted in August, it’s possible you’ll have different candidates on the ballot on Nov. 3.
To find out which district you’re in now, check your voter registration on the Missouri Secretary of State’s website. Once you’ve submitted your identifying information, click on “candidates and issues” to generate a list of every race and issue on your ballot, including the U.S. House of Representatives.
Missourians will also decide in November whether the redrawn congressional map should be used in future elections, or thrown out entirely. Learn more about Proposition A.
Q: Why are TV ads for Missouri’s abortion ban amendment talking about transgender surgeries?
Missouri Amendment 3 proposes changes to access of two types of healthcare: abortion and gender-affirming care.
The November measure would repeal the abortion rights amendment that Missouri voters passed in 2024, and add new restrictions on the procedure. It would also constitutionally ban gender-affirming care for transgender Missourians under the age of 18, something that is already illegal in state statute (though certain provisions will sunset in 2027).
February results from the SLU/YouGov poll show that a majority of Missourians support abortion access, and they also oppose gender-affirming care for minors. That could be contributing to the difference in advertising.
Anna Spoerre, reproductive healthcare reporter at the Missouri Independent, told KCUR’s Up To Date last month that both sides of the Amendment 3 campaign, highly energized to win over undecided voters, are leaning into public opinion to frame their messaging.
Her Health, Her Future, a political action committee supporting Amendment 3, is highly focused on the gender-affirming care provisions. Opposing campaign Stop The Ban Missouri centers around support of reproductive freedom.
Q: If voters pass Missouri Amendment 7, what’s keeping lawmakers from “raiding” the sovereign wealth fund?
Amendment 7 on the November ballot would establish the “Show-Me Prosperity Fund,” an endowment comparable to a sovereign wealth fund that would aim to end most state-imposed taxes in approximately 100 years.
State Rep. Colin Wellenkamp, a St. Charles Republican who sponsored the proposal, said on KCUR’s Up To Date that lawmakers would not be able to take money out of the prosperity fund before it matured.
But what specifically would prevent that?
The language of the proposed constitutional amendment expressly states that “no moneys shall be appropriated from the fund prior to notification given by the state treasurer to the general assembly” that the fund has earned enough to replace taxes.
The amendment also states that the money can only be used to eliminate the individual income tax, state sales and use taxes, corporate income tax and all other state-imposed taxes. It specifies that lawmakers cannot appropriate, pledge or borrow against the fund’s principal.
If Amendment 7 is passed, any changes to these rules would have to go before voters as another constitutional amendment.
Learn more about Amendment 7 here.
Q: Will Kansas City, Missouri, voters see any local propositions on the ballot?
Kansas City has not placed any local propositions on the November ballot.
However, Jackson County voters will decide whether to renew the county’s quarter-cent anti-crime sales tax, known as COMBAT. The tax generates between $25 and $30 million per year to support the court system, county prosecutor’s office and law enforcement agencies including the Jackson County Drug Task Force. Some nonprofits also receive grants from COMBAT funding.
The ballot language reads as follows:
“Shall Jackson County continue its anti-crime sales tax, commonly known as COMBAT, at the rate of one-quarter of one cent for a period of ten years for the purpose of promoting and providing public safety within Jackson County, including the prevention and treatment of drug abuse and addiction and the prevention, investigation, prosecution, and detention of violent criminals and drug dealers? The proceeds of this tax shall be deposited in a special Jackson County Anti-Crime Sales Tax Trust Fund, separate from the general fund or any other county funds.”
A “yes” vote supports extending the anti-crime sales tax. A “no” vote supports ending the tax.
Q: How can I find out more about the judges up for retention on the ballot?
There are many judges in all levels of the court system up for retention votes in Kansas and Missouri.
In Missouri, the state bar association recently released performance reviews for 50 judges up for retention across the state.
The performance review was conducted by a committee of lawyers who evaluate judges on a variety of performance factors, including their written opinions, how lawyers rate their ability to render justice effectively and fairly and, for some trial judges, how jurors rate their courtroom conduct.
You can find out more about each judge and see their review at YourMissouriJudges.org.
The Kansas Bar Association also surveys some judges up for retention. The 2026 Judicial Review Survey evaluated Supreme Court Chief Justice Eric S. Rosen and Justice Larkin Walsh, as well as Court of Appeals judges Lori Bolton Fleming, Kim R. Schroeder, Amy Fellows Cline, Lesley Ann Isherwood and Jacy J. Hurst.
In Johnson County, voters can learn more about judges of the Tenth Judicial Circuit up for retention from the Johnson County Bar Association. Wyandotte County elects judges in partisan elections.
What's the deal, KC? Text KCUR your election questions.
KCUR's new series is answering your most pressing questions about Kansas City's biggest issues. On Nov. 3, Kansas will elect a U.S. Senator, Governor, Secretary of State, Attorney General, and more statewide offices. What questions do you have about the candidates and their policy positions? What topics are most important to you? Text KCUR at 816-601-4777.
