Kansas 2025-2026 Regular Session

Kansas House Bill HB2490

Introduced
1/21/26  

Caption

Clarifying the signature verification requirements for advance voting ballot envelopes and providing for the repeal of advance voting statutes, except where advance voting is required by federal law, if a state or federal court issues a final order or judgment which is not subject to appeal invalidating such signature verification requirements.

Impact

The implementation of HB 2490 would significantly affect state election laws pertaining to advance voting. By clarifying the requirements for signature verification, the bill could lead to a more consistent approach to how ballots are handled and verified across various jurisdictions. This could mitigate confusion among voters and election officials alike, potentially leading to an increase in voter participation as barriers are lowered in terms of ballot acceptance during the advance voting process.

Summary

House Bill 2490 aims to clarify the signature verification requirements for advance voting ballot envelopes. The bill stipulates that the existing statutes regarding advance voting will be repealed, except in instances where federal law mandates advance voting. This legislation is intended to streamline the process for verifying signatures and could potentially simplify voting procedures in the state. By addressing the signature verification requirements, the bill seeks to enhance the efficiency of the voting process and bolster confidence in election integrity.

Contention

While proponents of HB 2490 argue that the legislation will improve the voting process and uphold electoral integrity, critics may raise concerns about the implications of repealing certain advance voting statutes. Detractors might argue that removing these statutes could disenfranchise some voters, especially those who rely on advance voting as a way to ensure that their votes are counted without complications. Thus, discussions surrounding the bill may revolve around the balance between ensuring integrity in the voting process and maintaining accessibility for all voters.

Companion Bills

No companion bills found.

Previously Filed As

KS SB4

Requiring all advance voting ballots be returned by 7:00 p.m. on election day.

KS SB7

Authorizing federally licensed firearm dealers, in addition to county sheriffs, to receive applications for concealed carry licenses and forward such applications to the attorney general, prohibiting sheriffs from assessing any fee related to application services and allowing dealers to assess a fee related to application services not to exceed $20.

KS SB3

Clarifying the procedures and restrictions on accepting a nomination for an elected office.

KS HB2003

Establishing the veterans' valor property tax relief act providing for an income tax credit or refund for eligible individuals, modifying the definition of household income and increasing the appraised value threshold for eligibility of seniors and disabled veterans related to increased property tax claims and citing the section as the homeowners' property tax freeze program, providing property tax exemptions for certain personal property including watercraft, marine equipment, off-road vehicles, motorized bicycles and certain trailers, excluding internal revenue code section 1031 exchange transactions as indicators of fair market value, providing for certain exclusions from the prohibition of paying taxes under protest after a valuation notice appeal and providing four prior years' values on the annual valuation notice.

KS SB2

Eliminating the income limit to qualify for the subtraction modification exempting social security benefits, increasing the income tax credit amount for household and dependent care expenses, establishing the veterans' valor property tax relief act providing for an income tax credit or refund for eligible individuals, citing the increased property tax homestead refund claim section as the homeowners' property tax freeze program, decreasing the normal privilege tax rate, increasing the extent of property tax exemption for residential property from the statewide school levy, decreasing the rate of ad valorem tax imposed by a school district; providing for certain transfers to the state school district finance fund, reducing the state rate of tax on sales of food and food ingredients and modifying the percent credited to the state highway fund from revenue collected.

KS HB2001

Authorizing the secretary of commerce to enter into agreements with major professional sports franchises to establish STAR bond projects for a major professional sports complex, providing for additional revenue sources, expanding the powers and discretion of the secretary and making other changes to the STAR bonds financing act to facilitate such projects, limiting the secretary’s authority to approve such projects to one year unless extended by the legislative coordinating council, authorizing the Kansas development finance authority to issue STAR bonds for such projects, transferring funds under certain circumstances from the state gaming revenues fund to the attracting professional sports to Kansas fund for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, and, if approved by the legislative coordinating council, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026.

KS SB1

Modifying income tax rates for individuals, exempting all social security benefits from Kansas income tax, increasing the Kansas standard deduction and the Kansas personal exemption, increasing the income tax credit amount for household and dependent care expenses, decreasing the privilege tax normal tax, excluding internal revenue code section 1031 exchange transactions as indicators of fair market value for property tax valuation purposes, increasing the extent of property tax exemption for residential property from the statewide school levy, providing for certain transfers to the state school district finance fund and abolishing the local ad valorem tax reduction fund and the county and city revenue sharing fund.

KS HB2004

Authorizing counties to propose an earnings tax for ballot question.

KS SB6

Providing a sales tax exemption for sales of electricity to residential premises by municipally owned or operated utilities.

KS HB2002

Expanding medical assistance eligibility and enacting the cutting healthcare costs for all Kansans act.

Similar Bills

CA AB827

Voting: signature verification.

CA SB3

Elections: signature verification and results.

AZ HB2845

Candidate petitions; random sample verification

CA SB321

Late signature curing expenditure reports.

UT HB0242

Initiative and Referendum Signature Gathering and Removal Amendments

UT SB0164

Modifications to Election Law

MT SB226

Require petition submittals be dropped off within a specific timeframe

CA AB25

An act to amend Sections 3000.