K.S.A. 25-3009

Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab invoked K.S.A. 25-3009 on 4 November for six races: the contests for governor, secretary of state and attorney general, and three state House seats, Districts 27, 40 and 117. These audits are partial counts of sampled precincts, not full hand recounts. Johnson County hand-counted about 125,000 ballots on 9 November, out of roughly 300,000 cast there, which its election commissioner called the biggest audit Kansas has done. Wyandotte County finished the same day, and every county must finish by 16 November. The governor's race, which Ty Masterson has not conceded and which went uncalled on polling night, is among the six.

Since its enactment in 2018, with amendments in 2022 and 2023, the Kansas law has required a manual audit of 1% of precincts, at least one per county, before the county canvass. A sworn bipartisan board runs it.

In even-numbered years the statute adds an extra audit for any federal, statewide or state legislative race in Kansas decided by 1% or less in unofficial results. Election boards then hand-count ballots from 10% of that race's precincts and compare the totals with the machines. Results go to the county and the secretary of state before the canvass. In 2026 the extra audit reached governor, secretary of state and attorney general, the three offices that run, certify and litigate Kansas elections, all decided within a point.