Kansas gov. vetoes advance voting bill

TOPEKA (KSNT) - Kansas Governor Laura Kelly has vetoed an advance voting bill Monday.

Kelly announced in a press release that she has decided to veto Senate Bill 4 on March 24. The bill, if approved, would require the return of advance voting ballots by 7 p.m. on the day of an election.

“The three-day grace period for mail ballots was a bipartisan solution approved by the Legislature in 2017 to address delays in processing of mail by the United States Postal Service, particularly in rural areas. The goal was to ensure that all Kansans had their votes counted, no matter where they lived. 

Not only will removing the three-day grace period for mail ballots disenfranchise thousands of Kansas voters, but it also shows a lack of understanding of our elections in Kansas. Implementing this will create confusion among county election officials, who will have to update policies and procedures on handling of mail ballots in a higher turnout election year. 

This bill is an attack on rural Kansans who want to participate in the electoral process guaranteed by our Constitution. I will not sign legislation that deprives Kansans from having their vote counted."

Governor Laura Kelly veto statement on Senate Bill 4

Supporters of the bill said it would end election disputes at the ballot box while opponents said it would suppress voting rights for some groups of people. The Kansas Senate passed the bill on March 14 at a vote of 30-10 while the Kansas House passed it on Feb. 27 at a vote of 80-39.

"We eagerly anticipate overriding the Governor's misguided veto to safeguard our elections and ensure quick, reliable outcomes. By setting a firm election-day deadline, we reaffirm Kansans' trust in our elections."

Joint statement by Representative Chris Croft, Representative Dan Hawkins and Representative Blake Carpenter.

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