Kansas House Bill HB2269

Kansas 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/5/25
• Refer: 2/5/25

Caption

Requiring the election commissioners in the four largest counties to designate at least three advance voting sites as determined by the board of county commissioners and providing for in-person advance voting 20 days prior to an election in such counties.

Summary

HB 2269 revises Kansas law governing advance voting ballots and in-person early voting. The bill keeps the existing framework for requesting advance ballots, including identification requirements, signature verification for mail ballots, provisional ballot procedures when identification or signature issues arise, and the existing application windows for different election types. It also preserves rules for permanent advance voting status, public inspection of advance ballot application lists, restrictions on third-party mailings of ballot applications, and penalties for improper solicitation or mailing of applications. The bill’s most significant change is geographic: it requires election commissioners in Johnson, Sedgwick, Shawnee, and Wyandotte counties to designate at least three satellite advance voting sites, subject to county commission approval, and to offer in-person early voting for 20 days before the election. In effect, it expands access to in-person advance voting in Kansas’s four largest counties while leaving the rest of the state’s advance voting structure largely intact. It also continues to authorize the secretary of state to adopt rules and define valid forms of identification.

Impact

HB 2269 amends K.S.A. 2024 Supp. 25-1122, the statute governing advance voting ballots, and repeals the existing version of that section. The bill would require the four largest counties to provide a minimum number of satellite advance voting sites and a defined early voting period, affecting county election administration, voter access, and local election planning. It also maintains statewide rules on voter identification, ballot application timing, permanent advance voting lists, and enforcement against improper ballot-application mailings.

Sentiment

The available context suggests the bill is framed as an election administration and access measure, with the main policy emphasis on expanding in-person early voting options in the state’s largest counties. The bill title and caption indicate a practical, operational approach rather than a broad overhaul of election law. No committee transcript or vote record is provided, so there is no documented floor or committee debate to show formal support or opposition, but the text itself reflects a generally pro-access, pro-administration posture.

Contention

The most likely point of contention is the requirement that Johnson, Sedgwick, Shawnee, and Wyandotte counties provide at least three satellite advance voting sites and 20 days of in-person early voting, which could raise concerns about county costs, staffing, and local control. Another possible area of debate is the bill’s retention of strict identification and signature-verification requirements, along with criminal and civil penalties for improper ballot-application mailings, which may be viewed as election-integrity safeguards by supporters and as barriers by critics. Because no transcripts or votes are included, specific named opponents or supporters cannot be identified from the record provided.