Near-edge x-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy was used to study the effect of temperature on ion pairing of a potassium salt in a modified carbonate (MC3) solution and in a poly(ethylene oxide)-potassium salt complex that used MC3 as a plasticizer. The modified carbonate was made by attaching three ethylene oxide units to the four position of ethylene carbonate. Spectra were obtained, at the K edge of potassium, over the temperature range of 25-110 degrees C. Studies of reference systems showed a correlation between ion pairing and white line splitting in the near-edge region of the spectra. The degree of white line splitting was used as a qualitative indicator of the degree of ion pairing as a function of temperature. The results indicate that, in both systems, the number of ion pairs increases with increasing temperature.