The Kansas House by a vote of 84-41 overrode Gov. Laura Kelly’s veto of SB 4 which requires all ballots to be received by 7 p.m. on Election Day rather than three days later. Republican House leaders have stated that the bill brings integrity to elections. All votes will be able to be counted on the day of the election rather than waiting for days to find out if enough mail in ballots come in after Election Day to impact the election.
The Senate originally passed the bill with a veto-proof vote of 30-10 and is expected to follow the House and override the veto.
According to a release by House leadership, “Governor Kelly’s misguided veto was a slight to voter confidence, but that was corrected with today’s override of Senate Bill 4. Kansas voters — whether in rural communities or urban centers — deserve an election system that is transparent, fair and trusted. This override reflects House Republicans’ commitment to ensuring all Kansans’ voted will be counted.”
Earl Watt is the owner and publisher of the Leader & Times in Liberal, Kansas. Watt started his career in journalism in 1991 at the Southwest Daily Times. During his career, the newspaper has won a total of 17 Sweepstakes awards from the Kansas Press Association for editorial content and 18 Sweepstakes awards for advertising. Watt has been recognized with more than 70 first place awards for writing in categories from sports and column to best front pages, best sports pages and best opinion pages. Watt is a member of the Sons of the American Revolution and is the descendant of several patriots who fought for America's freedom and independence.
