Kansas Senate Bill SB231

Kansas 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/6/25
• Refer: 2/7/25
• Report Pass: 3/4/25
• Engrossed: 3/20/25
• Refer: 3/20/25
• Report Pass: 3/11/26

Caption

House Substitute for SB231 by Committee on Elections - Changing the timing of city, school, community college and certain other municipality elections to fall in even-numbered years and requiring the term of office of municipal elected officials to be either two years or four years.

Summary

SB 231 amends Kansas election law governing applications for advance voting ballots, with a particular focus on mail ballot requests and third-party solicitation of those requests. The bill adds and clarifies identification and signature-verification requirements for voters requesting advance ballots by mail, including procedures for provisional ballots when identification is missing or signatures do not match voter registration records. It also preserves existing in-person application procedures, permanent advance voting status for voters with permanent disabilities or illnesses, and public inspection rules for application lists, while limiting disclosure of certain identifying information. The bill further restricts how advance ballot applications may be solicited by mail. It requires private individuals or organizations that mail such applications to clearly identify themselves, disclose that the mailing is not from a government office, use the official state or county application form, and include a return envelope or mailing instructions directing the completed application to the county election office. It also prohibits nonresidents from mailing or causing to be mailed such applications, creates a complaint process through the attorney general, and imposes a civil penalty for violations. The secretary of state is authorized to adopt rules and regulations to implement the law and define valid forms of identification.

Impact

The bill would amend K.S.A. 2024 Supp. 25-1122, Kansas’s statute governing advance voting ballot applications, and repeal the existing version of that section. Its practical effect is to tighten the rules for requesting mail ballots, increase verification requirements, and regulate third-party ballot-application mailings. County election officers would have additional duties related to signature matching, provisional ballot handling, voter notification, and maintaining application lists, while voters and private organizations would face new procedural requirements and restrictions.

Sentiment

The available voting history suggests the bill was broadly supported, passing Senate Emergency Final Action unanimously, 40-0. No committee transcript is provided, so there is no recorded debate in the supplied materials. Based on the vote, the measure appears to have been noncontroversial or at least not opposed on the floor in the Senate.

Contention

The main points of potential contention are the added restrictions on mail ballot applications and the regulation of third-party solicitation. Supporters would likely view the bill as an election-integrity and anti-fraud measure that clarifies identity verification and prevents misleading or unauthorized ballot-application mailings. Critics could argue that the new requirements may create barriers for voters, especially those relying on mail voting, and that the limits on who may mail applications could reduce voter outreach or assistance. The bill also raises administrative issues for county election offices, which must verify signatures, manage provisional ballots, and handle complaints and records.