Story perspectives

Kansas Rejects Amendment 1, 69% Preserve Court Selection

8/5/2026

Summary

Kansas Voters Reject

Kansas voters rejected Amendment 1 on Aug. 4, 2026, keeping the state’s current Supreme Court selection system.
About 69% voted “no,” with 245,739 “no” votes versus 142,102 “yes” votes.
Governor Laura Kelly said the defeat prevents the court from becoming a money-driven, influenced branch.
Scholars warned that electing justices could politicize the court and affect abortion-rights rulings.

Summary

Wales: Amendment Defeated

The amendment was defeated, prompting Planned Parenthood Great Plains Votes president Emily Wales to say it affirms the 2022 constitutional protection of abortion rights.
Kansas National Education Association president Sherri Schwanz praised educators for mobilizing communities to defend schools, rights and the state constitution.
Former Kansas Supreme Court Chief Justice Lawton Nuss warned that electing justices could make candidates beholden to political donors.

History

Historical Context

Kansas has used merit selection since a 1958 constitutional amendment created the Supreme Court Nominating Commission, letting the governor appoint justices from a three-candidate slate. Repeated reform attempts—defeated in the 2016 legislature and again on the August 4 2026 ballot, where 61.3% voted against electing justices—mirror the 2022 rejection of an abortion-rights amendment and shape today’s defeat of Amendment 1.

1 of 3

Kansas Voters Reject

Kansas voters rejected Amendment 1 on Aug. 4, 2026, keeping the state’s current Supreme Court selection system.
About 69% voted “no,” with 245,739 “no” votes versus 142,102 “yes” votes.
Governor Laura Kelly said the defeat prevents the court from becoming a money-driven, influenced branch.
Scholars warned that electing justices could politicize the court and affect abortion-rights rulings.

1 / 3