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Minutes for HB2504 - Committee on Elections
Short Title
Advance voting; advance voting ballot envelopes; secretary of state duties.
Minutes Content for Mon, Feb 5, 2018
Mike Heim, Revisor, provided a description of HB2504 and answered questions from the Committee.
Representative Blake Carpenter, Vice-chair, testified in support of HB2504 (Attachment 1), Providing some background on the bill, Rep. Carpenter stated that during a recent election in Sedgwick County 23 ballots were determined invalid due to a missing or incorrect signature on the ballot envelopes. He stated HB2504 would prescribe that advance ballot envelopes would include signature blocks for the advance voter and for the person, if any, assisting the voter.
There were questions and comments from the Committee.
Bryan Caskey, Director of Elections, Kansas Secretary of State's Office testified in favor of HB2504 (Attachment 2), stating the bill would require the Secretary of State to prescribe the general form of advance voting ballot envelopes and outlined several requirements in that proposed language. He stated the Secretary of State's Office already prescribes the advance ballot envelope, an example of which he would provide the Committee at a later date. Mr. Caskey stated the Secretary of State's Office was addressing the situation that happened in Sedgwick County and has been working with the Disability Rights Center and would continue to do so to finalize language that would be acceptable. He stated they were trying to ensure that never again should a vote be thrown out because a person did not have the ability to sign a ballot envelope.
Mr. Caskey answered questions from the Committee and will request a copy of the Sedgwick County envelope that was used as well as something in writing from the Sedgwick County Counselor regarding the decision about the 23 ballots. (Mr. Caskey provided the envelope copies (Attachment 3) via email; however, after checking, there was no written statement by Counselor Yost.)
Mr. Heim answered a question regarding the intent of the technical corrections to the bill.
Seeing no further testimonies, either neutral or opponent, Representative Esau, Chair, closed the hearing on HB2504.
