Sunflower State News

The Kansas Legislature overrode Democrat Gov. Laura Kelly's veto of House Bill 2332, an election integrity bill. It is now considered law.

The bill ensures that any rule changes elections procedure must be made by the Legislature. The law bans the executive or judicial branches of the Kansas government from making any changes to the state's election laws. This was a common occurrence in several states during the 2020 election, with governors or courts unilaterally extending early voting or issuing universal mail-in ballots.

Kansas already had secure laws concerning voter ID. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, Kansas voters must present an acceptable photo ID in order to vote. If unable to do so, voters must then use a provisional ballot and return within a short time frame, with an acceptable form of ID.

HB 2332 prohibits the modification of election laws through any other process other than those carried out by legislators. It requires county election officials to keep track of registered voters’ residential and mailing addresses and collect the sender’s ID through third-party solicitations in order to submit a voting ballot advancement application online. Non-residents will not be eligible to apply. 

The bill was created to ensure a well-established record of registered voters, ballot applications and the enforcement of election laws. It requires the name of the individual to be mailed, and to specify whether the person forms part of a company. The required information must be written in a clear, 14-point label, or larger.

Temporary vacancies will be handled in such a way that officers and employees will serve political subdivisions amid military veteran circumstances. Any party who attempts to violate the bill and is caught tampering with election data will be subjected to a higher levels of punishment. 

The Kansas City Star reports that Kelly had rejected the bill on the grounds that it was "designed to disenfranchise Kansans."