Kansas 2025-2026 Regular Session

Kansas Senate Bill SB347

Introduced
1/20/26  

Caption

Terminating the secretary of state's authority to appoint election commissioners and transferring the jurisdiction, powers and duties for conducting elections in counties with an election commissioner to the county clerk for such county.

Impact

The implications of SB347 on state laws are profound, especially regarding the decentralization of election management. By transferring election powers from the secretary of state to county clerks, the bill could lead to varying practices and procedures across different counties. Supporters believe that this localized approach may foster a better reflection of community preferences and enhance public trust in the electoral process. Conversely, concerns have been raised that this might lead to inconsistencies or disparities in how elections are handled across the state, potentially complicating state oversight and standardization of election rules.

Summary

SB347 proposes a significant shift in the administrative processes of elections by terminating the secretary of state's authority to appoint election commissioners. The bill will transfer the jurisdiction, powers, and duties for conducting elections in counties with an election commissioner directly to the county clerk of that county. This move aims to streamline election administration at the county level and enhance local control over election processes, which proponents argue will make elections more responsive to local needs and dynamics.

Contention

Debate surrounding SB347 has highlighted notable points of contention among legislators and public stakeholders. Supporters, often advocating for local governance, assert that the bill allows communities to have a greater say in their electoral processes. Opponents, however, caution that such decentralization could result in a lack of uniformity and potential misunderstandings among voters regarding their electoral rights and procedures. The differing capabilities and resources of county clerks might also lead to unequal access to the electoral process, which raises concerns about fairness and equity in elections.

Companion Bills

No companion bills found.

Previously Filed As

KS SB5

Authorizing counties to impose an earnings tax.

KS HB2004

Authorizing counties to propose an earnings tax for ballot question.

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 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 SB4

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

KS SCR1602

Approving the creation of a port authority in Wyandotte County Kansas.

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 HB2002

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

KS SB3

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

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.

Similar Bills

LA SB193

Provides for the Dept. of Energy and Natural Resources. (8/1/25)

CA AB2621

Banking Law.

IA HF2019

A bill for an act relating to nominations for election to school district offices.

NJ S1119

Requires Secretary of State to establish voter list maintenance and crosscheck program and to include certain voter registration data in annual report to Governor and Legislature.

LA SB244

Provides for the Dept. of Energy and Natural Resources. (8/1/25) (EN SEE FISC NOTE GF EX)

NJ A846

Requires Secretary of State to establish voter list maintenance and crosscheck program and to include certain voter registration data in annual report to Governor and Legislature.

NJ A3459

Provides additional ways for transferring deceased voter's record to Statewide voter registration system's death file; requires Secretary of State match registration system with Social Security Administration deceased persons database.

KS HB2258

Terminating the secretary of state's authority to appoint election commissioners and transferring the jurisdiction, powers and duties for conducting elections in those counties with an election commissioner to the county clerk for such county.