Votes Cast, 1859-2024
This list gives a close approximation to the voter turnout in each election. For each year, we
looked at the presidential, gubernatorial, and US Senate races (if on the ballot), and chose
the one with the largest number of votes cast. This will be slightly under the true turnout count,
since a small percentage of people abstain from the top-of-the-ticket races, and some people spoiled
their ballots and did not have a vote count. Unfortunately, historical turnout numbers are more difficult
to track down than election results.
| Year |
Votes Cast |
Race |
| 1859 | 13,303 | Governor |
| 1861* | 5,429 | Governor |
| 1862 | 15,450 | Governor |
| 1864 | 21,580 | President |
| 1866 | 27,521 | Governor |
| 1868 | 43,676 | Governor |
| 1870 | 61,271 | Governor |
| 1872 | 101,419 | Governor |
| 1874 | 86,493 | Governor |
| 1876 | 124,134 | President |
| 1878 | 138,296 | Governor |
| 1880 | 201,054 | President |
| 1882 | 179,379 | Governor |
| 1884 | 265,641 | President |
| 1886 | 273,487 | Governor |
| 1888 | 331,133 | President |
| 1890 | 294,560 | Governor |
| 1892 | 324,770 | Governor |
| 1894 | 300,235 | Governor |
| 1896 | 336,084 | President |
| 1898 | 288,209 | Governor |
| 1900 | 353,767 | President |
| 1902 | 287,168 | Governor |
| 1904 | 329,047 | President |
| 1906 | 315,379 | Governor |
| 1908 | 376,043 | President |
| 1910 | 325,954 | Governor |
| 1912 | 365,560 | President |
| 1914 | 528,207 | Governor |
| 1916 | 629,813 | President |
| 1918 | 442,654 | US Senate |
| 1920 | 570,318 | President |
| 1922 | 532,803 | Governor |
| 1924 | 662,456 | President |
| 1926 | 507,901 | Governor |
| 1928 | 713,199 | President |
| 1930 | 621,235 | Governor |
| 1932 | 800,026 | Governor |
| 1934 | 788,651 | Governor |
| 1936 | 865,514 | President |
| 1938 | 756,698 | Governor |
| 1940 | 860,297 | President |
| 1942 | 507,929 | Governor |
| 1944 | 733,776 | President |
| 1946 | 577,694 | Governor |
| 1948 | 788,819 | President |
| 1950 | 619,310 | Governor |
| 1952 | 896,166 | President |
| 1954 | 622,633 | Governor |
| 1956 | 866,243 | President |
| 1958 | 735,939 | Governor |
| 1960 | 928,825 | President |
| 1962 | 638,798 | Governor |
| 1964 | 857,901 | President |
| 1966 | 692,955 | Governor |
| 1968 | 872,783 | President |
| 1970 | 745,196 | Governor |
| 1972 | 922,182 | Governor |
| 1974 | 794,437 | US Senate |
| 1976 | 957,845 | President |
| 1978 | 748,839 | US Senate |
| 1980 | 979,795 | President |
| 1982 | 763,263 | Governor |
| 1984 | 1,021,991 | President |
| 1986 | 840,605 | Governor |
| 1988 | 993,044 | President |
| 1990 | 786,096 | US Senate |
| 1992 | 1,157,057 | President |
| 1994 | 820,846 | Governor |
| 1996 | 1,073,274 | President |
| 1998 | 742,665 | Governor |
| 2000 | 1,072,224 | President |
| 2002 | 835,692 | Governor |
| 2004 | 1,187,756 | President |
| 2006 | 849,700 | Governor |
| 2008 | 1,235,872 | President |
| 2010 | 838,790 | Governor |
| 2012 | 1,159,971 | President |
| 2014 | 869,502 | Governor |
| 2016 | 1,184,402 | President |
| 2018 | 1,054,622 | Governor |
| 2020 | 1,372,303 | President |
| 2022 | 1,008,998 | Governor |
| 2024 | 1,327,591 | President |
* the 1861 election for governor was nullified by the state supreme court.
Sources:
1859-1861: Roy R. Glashan. 1979. American Governors and Gubernatorial Elections, 1775-1978. London: Meckler Books.
1862-1968: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research. United States Historical Election Returns, 1824-1968.
Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2025-10-21. https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR00001.v4.
1970-2010: Election Statistics, Kansas Secretary of State. Hosted by the Kansas Government Information Library.
2012-2024: Past Election Results, Kansas Secretary of State. On their website.
|
|
