Kansas Appleseed

10/22/2026

📣 ELECTION UPDATE: Advance in-person voting may be available in your county!

Make your voting plan work for YOU! Election Day is getting closer, and you don’t have to wait until November 3 to vote.

Not sure what's on your ballot? Visit ksballot.org to prepare, learn about your ballot, and head to the polls feeling informed and aware of where and when you can vote. Once you’ve made your plan, encourage your network to make theirs, too!

* Advance voting locations and hours vary, so check with your local county election office before heading out.

Kansas voting guide: Primary & General dates, deadlines. 'Keep our courts independent.' Enter address to research your ballot.

10/22/2026

Susan T. spent more than 30 years working. She lives alone in Manhattan, Kansas. When her husband was dying, she lost her job after her supervisor refused to let her use her remaining earned time off.

“And then I was a 62-year-old office manager," she said. "People don't hire 62-year-old office managers.”

SNAP helps her afford groceries while she continues looking for employment. Under HR1’s requirements, she now volunteers 80 hours every month to keep about $251 in monthly food assistance. That's $3.14 per hour.

Keeping that assistance also means spending hours trying to get answers and navigate paperwork. “If I were trying to work at the same time, I would have no way to do this,” Susan told us.

For Susan, the stakes are simple: affording enough to eat.

*This story is part of an ongoing series from Kansas Appleseed highlighting the experiences of Kansans impacted by cuts to SNAP under H.R. 1. Over the coming months, we’ll continue sharing these stories in the words of the people living them, bringing the human impact of these cuts into focus.

10/21/2026

Did you know another constitutional amendment is on the ballot this November? Make sure you are prepared! The amendment would rewrite Article 1, Section 5 of the Kansas Constitution, which establishes the right to vote.

The bottom line: A vote for HCR 5004 would place the burden for establishing voting eligibility on Kansans. A vote against HCR 5004 would leave the burden on the government to prove ineligibility.

Download here for a more detail explanation of what's on your ballot:https://www.kansasappleseed.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/HCR5004_BallotExplainer.pdf

10/21/2026

Registration closes today, October 21, 2026! Join us tomorrow at 12 p.m. for an educational CLE on current Kansas voting laws and litigation and the evolution of voting rights in the state.

Register here: https://secure.everyaction.com/oIZ3i6HwzEa5QgChu62eaQ2?nvep&hmac&emci=a16ebfa9-14c7-f111-bf5b-000d3a4fbe83&emdi=ea000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000001&ceid&fbclid=IwY2xjawVFmsRleHRuA2FlbQIxMABwZG9mAWJyaWQRMW5hSlVoR3cxZGxPWUdpUmxzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeef_Y9k_RaQYDdlV2g3JlMl83Upp0o-jFyDZzaRKpsJ-xzHkos5-lDsABJgg_aem_dCan60smzwGRHMVCJTtyHw

*Kansas Voting Rights: Law, Litigation & History | Fall CLE*

Join us on October 22nd at 12 p.m. to learn about current Kansas voting laws and litigation and the evolution of voting rights in the state. Presented by Nicki Rose via Zoom, this free opportunity offers CLE credits.

• Attendance is free, but registration is required. Registration closes October 21, 2026.
• Credit approval is pending for Kansas; approved for Missouri.

Register here: https://secure.everyaction.com/oIZ3i6HwzEa5QgChu62eaQ2?nvep=&hmac=&emci=a16ebfa9-14c7-f111-bf5b-000d3a4fbe83&emdi=ea000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000001&ceid=

10/20/2026

Want to make a difference in our democracy without knocking on a single door? Pick up the phone! Join Kansas Appleseed’s Get Out the Vote (GOTV) phonebanking efforts to connect with fellow Kansans, share helpful, nonpartisan voting information, and encourage our communities to make a voting plan.

No need to be an elections expert. Just bring your friendly self and a willingness to help your neighbors participate! If you're interested in getting involved, please contact our Civic Engagement Manager, Logan Stenseng, at [email protected].

10/19/2026

Against the backdrop of President Trump's visit to our state, we know that Kansas families are hurting. Since the signing of the One Big Beautiful Bill, 50,000 eligible Kansans, including thousands of children, have been kicked off SNAP. And that doesn't even scratch the surface of families losing their healthcare, terror in immigrant communities, and working-class folks feeling the rising prices at the gas pump, doctor's office, and grocery store.

These are our neighbors, hurting because of harmful policies passed in Washington, D.C. by politicians who do not understand the struggles of everyday Kansans. But they cannot divide us.

We believe every Kansan deserves the opportunity to thrive in an inclusive and just state. We will keep fighting for the policies, protections, and resources Kansas families need to live with dignity, security, and opportunity.

10/17/2026

The Great Bend Tribune ran a two-part series on House Bill 2329, a new juvenile-justice law that went into effect on July 1, 2026. The law, which took effect July 1, calls for stiffer penalties and expands detention time. It makes no distinction between misdemeanors and felonies.

"When Kansas lawmakers enacted a new juvenile-justice law during this year’s legislative session, a majority of them didn’t understand the full ramifications of what they were doing," said Mike Fonkert, Deputy Director of the Kansas Appleseed.

Read more:

EDITOR’S NOTE This is the second of two stories about a new juvenile-justice law with further comments from the Kansas Appleseed Center for Law and Justice. The first story shared comments from the local Juvenile Services office.

10/16/2026

To close out National School Lunch Week, the Kansas Appleseed team has been reminiscing about our favorite school meals! Chili with cinnamon rolls, chicken fingers with mashed potatoes, and other cafeteria classics brought us together around the lunch table. For many of us, the school salad bar was also our first introduction to new fruits and vegetables—and where many team members' love of salads began!

School meals do more than just fill our plates. They help us discover new foods and fuel our learning every day. We are grateful for school meals, and we will keep advocating to increase participation, reduce stigma in the cafeteria, and eliminate meal debt!

10/15/2026

Kansas Appleseed has been in communities across Kansas, listening to people whose lives have been changed by cuts to SNAP under H.R. 1. Over the next few months, we’ll share their stories in their own words to bring the human impact of these cuts into focus. These are our neighbors, our communities, and our fellow Kansans. Their stories deserve to be heard.

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Dale R. lives in Manhattan, Kansas. He is a father of 10 and a full-time caretaker for his wife. He is a veteran who served over 14 years in the Army before medically retiring due to injuries. The family qualified for SNAP based on their income but lost their benefits due to work requirements outlined in the One Big Beautiful Bill, leaving their household without support.

The family struggled even before losing their benefits, but since then, they’ve had to make difficult trade-offs. Not only are they forced to choose between inflated prices at the grocery store, rising mortgage costs, and medical expenses, but they're also making decisions that carry a different kind of emotional weight. “We’ve got birthdays coming up, and nobody has money,” Dale explained. “I wanted to give my daughter a nice dress for her birthday… but I gotta wait for what I need versus what I want. I can’t even spoil her. It’s either you eat, you have medicine, or you have fuel.”

When asked what Dale would say to his representatives, he said, “Live in reality. You can’t save a buck on another person’s life or their well-being.”

10/14/2026

*Kansas Voting Rights: Law, Litigation & History | Fall CLE*

Join us on October 22nd at 12 p.m. to learn about current Kansas voting laws and litigation and the evolution of voting rights in the state. Presented by Nicki Rose via Zoom, this free opportunity offers CLE credits.

• Attendance is free, but registration is required. Registration closes October 21, 2026.
• Credit approval is pending for Kansas; approved for Missouri.

Register here: https://secure.everyaction.com/oIZ3i6HwzEa5QgChu62eaQ2?nvep=&hmac=&emci=a16ebfa9-14c7-f111-bf5b-000d3a4fbe83&emdi=ea000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000001&ceid=