Kansas Races Stay Close as Audit Begins
Six statewide races remain too close to call, and Johnson County will begin a state-mandated close election audit on Monday.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Elections
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Six Kansas races remain too close to call two days after the election, including the governor's race, and certification will not occur until at least next week. The Johnson County Election Office will begin a state-mandated close election audit on Monday, and the county is involved in five of the six close races.
Why it matters
The delay leaves the outcome of several Kansas contests unsettled while the state checks closely contested results under state law. Because the Secretary of State's office must receive mailed ballots by close of business Friday, the final tallies could still shift before certification.
Johnson County voters split 187,088 Republicans, 160,430 Democrats, and 124,402 unaffiliated, while State Rep. Sean Tarwater trails Sar Kiewiet unofficially by 42 votes. The final result depends on mailed ballots received by Friday and the audit that begins Monday.
The players
Johnson County Election Office
The county election office that administers voting and is conducting the state-mandated close election audit for Johnson County, Kansas.
Secretary of State's office
The Kansas state office that receives mailed ballots and oversees the certification of statewide election results.
Sean Tarwater
A Kansas State Representative who trails Democratic challenger Sar Kiewiet unofficially by 42 votes in a close race.
Sar Kiewiet
The Democratic challenger leading State Representative Sean Tarwater unofficially by 42 votes in a close Kansas race.
The details
Six Kansas races remain too close to call, including the governor's race, and each must be certified before the results are final. Johnson County is involved in five of the six close contests, and its audit under state law is intended to verify the closely contested counts.
Timeline
Friday: Deadline for mailed ballots to reach the Secretary of State's office by close of business.
Monday: Johnson County Election Office begins the state-mandated close election audit.
Next week: Earliest expected certification of the six close races.
Legal Context
Kansas law requires a close election audit when races are closely contested, and the Johnson County audit beginning Monday applies that requirement to this year's narrow results. Certification of the six close races will follow the audit and the Friday mail-ballot deadline set for the Secretary of State's office.
Voters in Johnson County and across Kansas will not know the final results of the six close races until the audit and certification are completed next week. Mailed ballots must arrive by Friday to be counted, so voters who sent theirs should confirm they were received.
The takeaway
Close margins in several Kansas races mean the audit and mail-ballot deadline could still change who is ultimately certified. Readers should watch for the Secretary of State's certification announcement next week.
What happens next
Mailed ballots must reach the Secretary of State's office by close of business Friday, the Johnson County audit begins Monday, and certification of the close races is expected no earlier than next week.
Further reading
For more on the state's voting rules, see Kansas Elections.
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