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Minutes for SB209 - Committee on Elections
Short Title
Requiring all advance voting ballots be returned by 7 p.m. on election day.
Minutes Content for Thu, Mar 9, 2023
Chairperson Proctor opened the hearing on SB 209 and asked Assistant Revisor Heim to give an overview of the bill. Revisor Heim stood for questions.
There were no oral proponents for SB 209.
Written-only proponents included:
- Tim McCabe, Johnson County Precinct Committeeman (Attachment 3)
- Natalie Horspool, Republican Precinct Committeewoman (Attachment 4)
- Seth Graber, Lenexa Resident (Attachment 5)
- Brett Anderson, Precinct 623 Committeeman (Attachment 6)
- Keith Esau, Former State Representative (Attachment 7)
- Will Hoerl (Attachment 8)
- Kari Sue Vosburgh, Sedgwick County Precinct Person (Attachment 9)
- Hannah Mingucci, Resident of House District #78 (Attachment 10)
Oral opponents for SB 209 were:
- Ann Mah, Former State Representative, District 53, informed the Committee that the Kansas Legislature passed (2017) HB2158 which changed the acceptable delivery deadline for ballots to three days following the election. (Attachment 11)
- Cille King, Advocacy Chair, League of Women Voters of Kansas, stated that the extension of receiving mail ballots was a request, among others, of the Secretary of State's office and a Kansas County Clerk. (Attachment 12)
- Mike Burgess, Director of Policy & Outreach, Disability Rights Center of Kansas, voiced that while the three day "grace period" may be a recent change, it has been very helpful for many Kansans with disabilities who face additional barriers to ensure their vote counts just like every other eligible Kansas voter. (Attachment 13)
Two oral opponents via WebEx:
- Caleb Smith, Inclusive Campaign Director, Kansas Appleseed Center for Law and Justice, expressed that removing the three day window for delivery of timely sent ballots is an arbitrary decision based primarily on media coverage of elections. (Attachment 14)
- Erin Woods, Leawood, Kansas, Resident, indicated the removal of this voter protection period could invalidate the votes of many Kansas voters. Ms. Woods shared her specific concerns in regards to young out-of-town/state college students. (Attachment 15)
A question and answer period followed and Chairperson Proctor thanked the conferees for their testimony.
Written-only opponent testimony was received from the following:
- Carol Fields, Kansas Resident (Attachment 16)
- Alice J. Capson, Kansas Citizen (Attachment 17)
- Jay Hall, Deputy Director and General Counsel, Kansas Association of Counties (Attachment 18)
- Amy Hinrichs, Kansas Citizen (Attachment 19)
- Deborah Kitchin, Kansas Citizen (Attachment 20)
- Hilary Junk, Kansas Citizen (Attachment 21)
- Leola Brake, Kansas Citizen (Attachment 22)
- Jennifer Ancell, Private Citizen (Attachment 23)
- Christine Huntsman, Kansas Voter (Attachment 24)
- Aileen Berquist, Policy Director, American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas (Attachment 25)
- Kellie Bubeck, Private Citizen (Attachment 26)
- Sara Askew, Kansas Citizen (Attachment 27)
- Stephen Pantos, Shawnee County Volunteer Election Worker (Attachment 28)
- Debra Mitchell, Private Citizen (Attachment 29)
- Melissa Stiehler, Topeka, Kansas, Resident (Attachment 30)
- Mary Boyles, Kansas Citizen, (Attachment 31)
- Don C. Railsback, OD, CEO, Independent Eye Care Professionals (Attachment 32)
- Stacey Knoell, Kansas African American Affairs Commission (Attachment 33)
- Trent W. Davis, M.D., Private Citizen, (Attachment 34)
- Brenda R. Sharpe, President and CEO, The REACH Healthcare Foundation (Attachment 35)
- Lauren Tice Miller, Director of Government Relations & Elections, Kansas National Education Association (Attachment 36)
- Connie Brown Collins, Director/Founder, Voter Rights Network of Wyandotte County (Attachment 37)
- Adrienne Newlin, Johnson County Resident (Attachment 38)
- Jason Williams, Health Forward Foundation (Attachment 39)
- Claire Reagan, Kansas Citizen (Attachment 40)
- Rick Piepho, Election Committee Chair, Kansas County Clerks and Election Officials Association (Attachment 41)
- Linda Sanchez, Kansas Citizen (Attachment 42)
- Davis Hammet, Loud Light Civic Action (Attachment 43)
- Sara Lancaster, Kansas Resident (Attachment 44)
Oral neutral testimony was provided by:
Clay Barker, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, General Council, stated the Secretary of State's office was neutral on this legislation but wishes to address several technical issues. Mr Barker's issues are attached. (Attachment 45)
Mr. Barker addressed questions from the Committee.
Chairperson Proctor thanked Mr. Barker for his testimony and closed the hearing on SB 209.
Announcements: Next Tuesday, discussion and action on SB 221 and SB 208; next Thursday, hearing continuation on HB 2312.
The meeting adjourned at 4:18 p.m.
The next scheduled meeting of the House Elections Committee is scheduled for Tuesday, March 14, 2023.
