Kan. Stat. § 20-354
If, upon the death, resignation, retirement or removal of a district magistrate judge of a county in which there are two or more district magistrate judge positions or in which there also is at least one district judge position, the supreme court determines that the continuation of the vacant district magistrate judge position is unnecessary, due to the ability of the remaining judges of the district court in the county to assume the entire judicial workload of the county, the supreme court shall certify the elimination of the district magistrate judge position to the secretary of state. Where the position to be eliminated is in a judicial district in which the proposition of nonpartisan selection of district court judges has been approved, such certification also shall be made to the chairperson of the district judicial nominating commission of the judicial district.
K.S.A. 20-354