Kansas Voters Decide on Electing Supreme Court Justices

Kansas voters will decide on Tuesday whether to approve a constitutional amendment that would transition the state Supreme Court from a governor-appointed system to an elected one. The proposal, driven by Republican lawmakers and conservative groups, seeks to shift the seven-member court to the right. Supporters aim to install at least four anti-abortion justices by 2033, citing dissatisfaction with court rulings on abortion, school funding, the death penalty, and gender-affirming care.

Laura Kelly, the Democratic governor, opposes the measure. She argues that electing justices would introduce partisan dysfunction and allow dark money to influence the judiciary. Conversely, supporters of the amendment claim that an elected court would be less likely to mandate specific state spending on schools.

The campaign has become a high-spending battle with over $12 million contributed by both sides. Planned Parenthood and abortion-rights advocates have provided over $1.6 million to the no campaign. The yes campaign has received significant funding from anti-abortion groups, a Nashville-based Republican nonprofit, and Americans for Prosperity Action, which spent $935,000 to promote the measure.